Republic of Korea: A high income country with a population of 51.83 million. In 2021, the estimated rate per 100 000 population was 6.9 (WHO, 2023). In specific, pedestrian and the elderly are believed to be at higher risk than in other countries. The Republic of Korea has acceded to 2 out of 7 UN road safety legal instruments.
During the mission, the Special Envoy contributed to the high-level plenary session of the Asia-Pacific Urban Forum 8 (APUF-8) and to the “Road Safety in Asia and the Pacific: providing access to safe transport systems for all” side event on its margins. APUF-8 was co-organized by the ESCAP and Suwon City, in strategic partnership with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of the Republic of Korea, and in cooperation with UN-Habitat, Habitat for Humanity International and CityNet as well as a range of supporting partner organizations. The Forum brought together the experiences of diverse stakeholders to reflect on the colliding crises faced by cities in Asia and the Pacific, synthesize innovative approaches and actions to support sustainable urban development in the context of the New Urban Agenda and the decade for action for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).