President Yoon Suk Yeol met with Princess Anne, the sister of King Charles III of the United Kingdom, to discuss ways to enhance the friendship and cooperation between South Korea and the UK.
According to the Blue House, President Yoon welcomed Princess Anne and her husband, Timothy Laurence, at the Blue House on July 14. He referenced the participation of British troops in the Korean War and the background of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' establishment.
“The UK is a grateful country that has helped our nation grow,” President Yoon said.
He expressed his pleasure at Princess Anne's visit to South Korea, her third since the 1988 Seoul Olympics and the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. Princess Anne responded, “I am very happy to visit Korea again after eight years.”
Princess Anne also shared her visit to the UN Memorial Cemetery in Busan, where she paid tribute to British veterans, expressing gratitude for the well-maintained memorials. She emphasized the importance of conveying the history of war to future generations.
Additionally, she praised South Korea's shipbuilding, heavy industry, and steelmaking technologies after visiting HD Hyundai Heavy Industries in Ulsan, calling them “remarkable.”
President Yoon noted that the late Queen Elizabeth II's state visit to South Korea in 1999 was a significant milestone in UK-South Korea diplomatic history. He expressed hope that Princess Anne's visit would serve as a new milestone in the friendship between the two countries and added, “I hope exchanges between the Korean and British royal families will continue.”
Princess Anne conveyed her desire for President Yoon to visit the UK. In response, President Yoon suggested discussing specific details through diplomatic channels, expressing his hope to meet again.
Before their meeting, the two engaged in a friendly conversation. When President Yoon asked how many times she had visited Korea, Princess Anne replied, “This is my fourth visit; I came during the Seoul Olympics and the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.”
After the meeting, President Yoon took to X (formerly Twitter) to state, “South Korea and the UK are global strategic partners that have expanded cooperation in various fields, including security, economy, advanced technology, and culture, based on shared values of freedom, democracy, and the rule of law.”
He added, “The UK will host the G20 summit in 2027, and South Korea will host it in 2028. I hope our two countries can demonstrate global leadership for peace, prosperity, and sustainable development in the international community, and I hope today’s meeting will further advance South Korea-UK relations.”
* This article has been translated by AI.
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