South Korea Pledges €100K to Back OPCW Syria Efforts
The Government of the Republic of Korea has contributed €100,000 to the Trust Fund for Syria Missions of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
The funds will support OPCW’s ongoing efforts to uncover the full extent and scope of Syria’s Chemical Weapons Programme and ensure its complete elimination amid the country’s evolving political landscape. It will also aid in investigating allegations of chemical weapons use and identifying perpetrators, in line with the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), relevant decisions of the OPCW’s policy-making organs and United Nations Security Council resolutions.
The voluntary contribution was formalised on 30 June 2025 in a signing ceremony held between the Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea to the OPCW, H.E. Mr Seok-in Hong, and the OPCW Director-General, Ambassador Fernando Arias, at the OPCW’s Headquarters in The Hague.
Ambassador Hong stated: “The recent political developments in Syria present an unprecedented opportunity to resolve the issue of chemical weapons in the country. We commend the OPCW for its continued efforts to address this matter, and we are pleased to make a timely voluntary contribution. The Republic of Korea remains committed to supporting the work of the OPCW moving forward.”
Director-General Arias welcomed the contribution, noting: “The Republic of Korea’s timely and meaningful contribution is deeply appreciated and will directly support the OPCW’s work on the Syrian chemical weapons dossier. After more than a decade, Syria must come into full compliance with the Chemical Weapons Convention. To seize this opportunity, continued and increased financial support from States Parties is vital to fully realise the elimination of Syria’s chemical weapons programme and uphold international norms against the use of chemical weapons. The Secretariat is committed to this work and relies on such support to carry it forward.”
The Republic of Korea has been an active member of the OPCW since the Chemical Weapons Convention entered into force in 1997 and is a member of the OPCW Executive Council, the governing body of the Organisation.
To date, the Republic of Korea has contributed over €3.2 million to various OPCW trust funds, including the Trust Fund for a Centre for Chemistry and Technology, the Trust Fund for Regional Seminars, the Trust Fund for the Junior Professional Officers Programme, and the Trust Fund for Training.
As the implementing body for the Chemical Weapons Convention, the OPCW, with its 193 Member States, oversees the global endeavour to permanently eliminate chemical weapons. Since the Convention’s entry into force in 1997, it is the most successful disarmament treaty eliminating an entire class of weapons of mass destruction.
In 2023, the OPCW verified that all chemical weapons stockpiles declared by the 193 States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention since 1997 – totalling 72,304 metric tonnes of chemical agents – have been irreversibly destroyed under the OPCW’s strict verification regime.
For its extensive efforts in eliminating chemical weapons, the OPCW received the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize.
https://www.opcw.org/media-centre/news/2025/07/republic-korea-contributes-eu100000-support-opcw-missions-syria