By Lee Jon-young

President Yoon Suk-yeol received the Judge of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Piotr Hofmański, who is in Korea to attend the ICC High-Level Seminar for the Asia-Pacific Region, and discussed cooperation between Korea and the ICC, as well as regional and international political issues on Nov. 13.

President Yoon said that the Republic of Korea strongly supports an international order based on the norms of freedom, human rights, and the rule of law, and will continue to cooperate with the ICC to realize international criminal justice and maintain international peace.

The President noted that the international community is paying attention to the role of the ICC amidst the growing global call for severe punishment for grave crimes, and praised the ICC's efforts to realize justice in the face of many challenges.

Hofmanski expressed his appreciation to the Republic of Korea for its active support for the work of the ICC over the past two decades, including through human and financial contributions, as a norm-setting country that played a leading role in the establishment of the ICC, including the drafting of the Rome Statute, and expressed his hope that bilateral cooperation will continue to strengthen in the future.

In particular, Hofmanski noted that the Republic of Korea has continued to contribute significantly to the work of the ICC by producing judges, and he hopes to see more Korean nationals, including young people, joining the ICC as full-time employees of the ICC Secretariat in the future.