President Yoon Suk Yeol has vowed to actively contribute to the development of the Indo-Pacific region based on the principles of inclusiveness, trust and reciprocity.

Yoon made the pledge on Wednesday when he delivered a congratulatory address at the opening ceremony of the 56th annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank(ADB) which kicked off in Songdo, Incheon on Tuesday for a four-day run.

Yoon said it is all the more significant that the meeting is taking place in Songdo which has grown into an international city thanks to the Gyeongin Expressway, which the president noted was the nation’s first expressway and was built by support from the ADB in 1968. 

The president added that South Korea will actively take part in efforts by Asian countries to build a collaborative supply chain as a close partner that possesses key manufacturing technology and capacity in new industries, including semiconductors and secondary batteries.  

He said South Korea will share with ADB member states its experiences in achieving economic growth, while also carrying out active diplomacy in the areas of climate change and digital divide.