1. Mr. Lee Seok Hyun, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, attended as special envoy of President Moon Jae-in the inauguration ceremony of new President of the Republic of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, held in San Salvador, the capital of El Salvador, on June 1.

° Mr. Shin Dong-kun, another member of the Democratic Party of Korea, accompanied special envoy Lee at the inauguration ceremony, which brought together some 100 special envoys from about 80 countries, including the Presidents of the Republic of Costa Rica, the Republic of Guatemala, the Republic of Colombia, the Republic of Panama and the Dominican Republic.

2. The special delegation from the Republic of Korea paid a courtesy call on new President Bukele on May 31. During the courtesy call, the delegation handed to him President Moon Jae-in’s letter, in which he expressed hope for a leap forward for the close friendly and cooperative ties between the two countries; and the two sides discussed ways to deepen and step up bilateral cooperation.

° Special envoy Lee Seok Hyun noted with appreciation that since establishing diplomatic relations in 1962, the two countries, while sharing such universal values as democracy and human rights, have continued to strengthen their friendly and cooperative relations. He went on to voice hope that the two countries will further expand and advance their mutually beneficial cooperative ties.

- President Bukele mentioned that the ROK, which used to be known merely as an economic powerhouse, has now emerged as a cultural powerhouse as well, raising the profile of Korean culture among people of El Salvador by more than 10,000% over the past 10 years. He expressed hope that cooperation between the two countries will deepen and advance in the fields of not only political affairs and economy but also cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

° Special envoy Lee Seok Hyun extended appreciation to El Salvador for consistently supporting the ROK government’s position regarding diplomacy for peace on the Korean Peninsula on the international stage, and asked for the country’s continued attention and support.

° President Bukele noted that the ROK’s cooperation projects with El Salvador in the field of public security, including the establishment of an integrated CCTV control center within the 911 center of the National Civilian Police of El Salvador, are contributing greatly to the resolution of public security issues of the country; and voiced hope that cooperation will expand and advance.

3. During the visit to El Salvador, special envoy Lee Seok Hyun submitted a letter of credence to former President Sanchez Ceren on May 31; and the delegates attended a reception hosted by new Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexandra Hill on June 1. On May 31, the delegation held a dinner meeting with representatives from the Korean community in El Salvador to hear about their challenges.

* unofficial translation