ICC Registrar Peter Lewis and Deputy Minister for Multilateral and Global Affairs Jeong-sik Kang at the signing ceremony for the Memorandum of Understanding between the ICC and the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 29 October 2019 at the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Seoul ©Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
On 28-31 October 2019, the Registrar of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Peter Lewis conducted an official visit to the Republic of Korea to meet with relevant members of the Government, national authorities and university representatives. During his meetings, the Registrar thanked the Republic of Korea for its strong support to the ICC and welcomed the opportunity to explore in-depth issues of mutual importance, including raising awareness in the Asia-Pacific region about the mandate and work of the ICC.
In Seoul, the Registrar met with high level officials of the Korean Government, including the Acting Minister of Justice, O-su Kim, the Deputy Minister for Multilateral and Global Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jeong-sik Kang, and the Vice Minister of National Court Administration Inkyeom Kim. The meetings tackled cooperation with the Court, the need for support for global justice in the region, amongst other issues of mutual interest.
On 29 October, the Registrar and the Deputy Minister for Multilateral and Global Affairs, Jeong-sik Kang, signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the ICC and the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Memorandum aims at the promotion of equitable geographical representation and gender balance among the staff of the ICC.
The Registrar also attended an event on strengthening universality in the Asia-Pacific region with diplomatic representatives from the region, in the presence of the Deputy Minister for Multilateral and Global Affairs Jeong-sik Kang, the President of the Assembly of States Parties O-gon Kwon, the Former President of the ICC judge Sang-hyun Song and the Director of the Treaties Division of the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ji-eun Pyo.
Furthermore, the Registrar delivered lectures at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy and the Seoul National University where he discussed the relevance of the Court’s work for the region with interested experts and law students.
The Republic of Korea signed the Rome Statute, the Court’s founding treaty, on 8 March 2000 and deposited its instrument of ratification of the Rome Statute on 13 November 2002. Out of the 122 States Parties to the Rome Statute, 18 are Asia-Pacific States.
