US President Donald Trump holds the charter during a signing ceremony on his Board of Peace initiative at the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Jan. 22. (AP-Yonhap)


South Korea will attend the inaugural meeting of a US-led Gaza peace board as an observer, the Foreign Minist 바다이야기부활 ry said Thursday, while stressing that the decision will not affect the ongoing trade negotiations with Washington.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Park Il sought to quell concerns that Seoul’ 모바일바다이야기하는법 s participation could be linked to bilateral economic talks. Asked whether joining the peace body could affect South Korea-US trade or security negotiations, Park said those specific issues were not b 릴게임 eing considered. He emphasized that the first meeting will focus on reconstruction, humanitarian assistance and peacebuilding.
Former Ambassador to Egypt Kim Yong-hyun will represent Seoul a 황금성슬롯 t the launch meeting of the Board of Peace in Washington on Thursday, participating as a special envoy of the foreign minister, the ministry said Wednesday.
Seoul said it will continue to we 오징어릴게임 igh the committee’s potential contribution to international peace and stability before deciding whether to become a full member. Park explained that the South Korean government will decide whether to formally join the body “after considering the committee’s operating structure, our potential role and international legal aspects.”
A ministry official said Wednesday, speaking on condition of anonymity, that “South Korea is still reviewing whether to officially join the peace committee,” adding that the US side has not set a deadline and Seoul has “no fixed timetable” for making a decision.
The US-led Board of Peace was first proposed in January last year as a temporary multinational body to oversee Gaza’s postwar reconstruction and humanitarian coordination.
By mid-2025, consultations with allies were underway, and the initiative’s scope gradually expanded beyond Gaza to include broader post-conflict recovery and peacebuilding efforts.
The initiative has since been seen as evolving into a broader US-backed platform for international stabilization efforts, though its long-term mandate remains under discussion.
The US invited around 60 countries to participate. About 20 nations, including Hungary, have decided to join; the rest, including South Korea, Japan, Italy, Romania, Greece and Cyprus, are expected to attend the launch as observers. Some US allies, including France and the United Kingdom, are among those reported to have expressed reservations.
Trade sensitivities loom in the background. In April last year, Washington slapped a 25 percent tariff on Korean exports, placing significant strain on key US-bound shipments such as automobiles and steel. The two countries later struck a deal in October, following a meeting between South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and US President Donald Trump in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. The tariff rate would be cut to 15 percent in exchange for South Korea’s pledge to invest $350 billion in the United States.
Uncertainty persists, however. Trump recently warned that tariffs on Korean automobiles, pharmaceuticals and lumber could be raised back to 25 percent from the current 15 percent, citing delays in the passage of a special bill aimed at facilitating Korean investments in the US. Seoul is pushing to pass the legislation at the National Assembly by the end of next month, though the timeline remains uncertain.