Concern Worldwide opened a fundraising office in South Korea, last Thursday, which agency chief executive Dominic MacSorley said offered an exciting opportunity to build on well-established relations between Ireland, Korea and the wider world.

The official launch of the agency's presence in the country took place at a welcome reception hosted by the Irish Ambassador in Seoul, Aingeal O'Donoghue.

"This is a significant moment in the history of the organisation as we move to meet the growing humanitarian challenges across Africa, the Middle East and Asia itself," said MacSorley.

The agency is already responding to conflict-driven refugee crises in Syria, Lebanon and Turkey, and also in countries such as South Sudan, Yemen and Central African Republic.

Climate impacts in countries such as Ethiopia are now looming large and natural disasters are increasing in frequency worldwide, with a high proportion of them in Asia alone.

Ambassador O’Donoghue said Concern has been a long-standing partner for Irish Aid and other international donors in delivery of Ireland’s humanitarian and development aid programmes globally.

“Concern’s move into the Republic of Korea presents new opportunities for Irish-Korean collaboration and co-operation in tackling poverty and hunger in some of the world’s poorest countries,” she said.