South Korea hosted the Indo-Pacific meeting of the second Summit for Democracy on Thursday, bringing together ministerial-level officials and experts from the region with a focus on the issue of combating corruption.
Attendees at the event held at a hotel in central Seoul included Foreign Minister Park Jin, United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi.
"Corruption undermines public trust, compromises the integrity of our institutions and exacerbates inequality," Park said during the opening ceremony of the session with the theme of "Challenges and Progress in Addressing Corruption.
Tai said the U.S. recognizes the importance of anti-corruption efforts in promoting inclusive economic growth and leveling the playing field for workers and businesses.
South Korea is one of five co-hosts for this year's summit, along with the United States, Costa Rica, the Netherlands and Zambia. The first plenary session of the summit was held virtually on Wednesday.
Source: Yonhap News Agency