열린장관실

Congratulatory Remarks

by H.E. Park Jin CBE

Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea

‘Korea Night’

On the Occasion of the 140th Anniversary of

the ROK-UK Diplomatic Relations

September 27, 2023

Hello, good evening!

I am Park Jin,

Foreign Minister of the Republic of Korea.

I would like to thank Sir John Whittingdale,

Minister of State in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, as well as the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology,

for attending the 'Korea Night' this evening.

Your Excellency Colin Crooks,

British Ambassador to the Republic of Korea.

Ambassador Yoon Yeo-Cheol,

distinguished guests and ladies and gentlemen,   

It is my honor to join all of you this evening to mark the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Korea and the United Kingdom.

I’m pleased to see old friends and familiar faces – former Ambassadors Charles Hay, Warwick Morris, Simon Smith, Martin Uden, not least among them.

Ambassador Uden's role as Chairman of the British Korean Society (Anglo-Korean Society) is deeply appreciated.

I hope you’ll indulge me as I start on a personal note.

For the United Kingdom has a very special place in my heart and in my life – second only to Korea.

I spent many years in three different British institutes.

Oxford is where I spent my time as a postgraduate student.  

It’s also where I learned how to punt

while enjoying fish and chips and a pint of shandy.

Newcastle is where I taught students as a lecturer in politics.

It is a wonderful city with friendly people loving soccer and Newcastle brown ale.

I love the Geordie English!

London is where I studied war and peace as a research fellow.

“Yes, Minister” was one of my favorite television series.  

Now, as a Minister in the Korean government,

I can see even more clearly what an intriguing and brilliant program it was.

So, I have great memories of Britain and British culture.

Upon returning to Korea, I spent 13 years working to strengthen our bonds of friendship as President of the Korea Britain Society.

This is actually ten years more than my time as Chairman of the Korea-America Association.  

So you’re in safe hands.

Korea and Britain have a long history of friendship and interaction.

140 years of relations between any two countries is, in and of itself, a worthy cause for celebration.

But the 1883 Treaty on Friendship and Commerce between the Kingdom of Chosun – then Korea – and Great Britain stands out.

It was Korea’s first-ever official relationship with a European country.

In the first half of our time-honored relationship with Great Britain, several figures have made lasting and significant contributions to modern Korea.

For example, the Scottish missionary, John Ross, made the first Korean translation of the Bible in 1887.  

This would have a formative impact on the history of Christianity in Korea – a nation where Christians today make up over 30 percent of the population, including myself.

A British journalist, Earnest Bethell, founded a newspaper that advocated for Korea’s independence in the early 20th century.

The second half of our 140-year journey together would emerge out of the Korean War.  

Let me quote from the moving words inscribed on the Korean War Memorial on the Victoria Embankment.

I quote, “Although exhausted and impoverished after the Second World War, Britain responded immediately by providing strong naval, army and air forces and became the second largest contributor after the United States.  A distant obligation honourably discharged.” Unquote.  

Indeed, Shakepeare once wrote,

“I am not of that feather to shake off my friends when he must need me.”

In Shakespearean spirit, this is what the UK clearly demonstrated during the Korean War.

It was because nations like the UK made the courageous decision to defend freedom and democracy – however distant the threat – that Korea has been able to come as far as it has today.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice.

81,084 young British servicemen

fought bravely to safeguard peace and security

on the Korean Peninsula.

1,106 British soldiers were killed in action and thousands were wounded.

Korea is profoundly and eternally grateful

for the UK’s service and sacrifice

in defence of freedom and democracy in Korea.

Today, British Lieutenant General Andrew Harrison is serving as the Deputy Commander of the United Nations Command overseeing the armistice – a reminder of the ongoing British contribution to defending Korea from aggression.    

It's not a distant obligation anymore.

The bonds of friendship forged on the battlefield formed the bedrock upon which our cooperative ties would subsequently grow and flourish.

The trade volume between Korea and the UK consistently increased over the decades.

Our bilateral Free Trade Agreement came into force in January 2021.

This functioned as a timely ballast that enabled our trade to grow even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.  

The UK is now our third-largest trading partner and our number two investment destination in Europe.

I understand that Sir John Whittingdale has been instrumental in bringing this about, as the British Prime Minister’s first Trade Envoy to Korea.

(Please give a big round of applause to Sir John Whittingdale.)

Our robust trade relationship stands out,

in British exports of automobile supplies,  

medical equipment, platinum, just to name a few.

Numerous UK companies are operating in Korea,

as well, including Shell plc, Standard Chartered, Glaxo Smith Klein, Rolls Royce and Bentley.

Our cultural exchanges are also thriving and constantly evolving.

Indeed, British culture is embedded in our everyday life.

The Beatles for the older generation,

Adele and Ed Sheeran for the younger generation,

are household names.

The vast majority of Koreans, including myself, grew up reading Sherlock Holmes & Dr. Watson.

For the younger generation, there was Harry Potter.

Sherlock and Black Mirror are also favourite dramas on Netflix in Korea.

And of course, many Koreans root for Tottenham, where a top Korean football player, 손흥민,

is now team captain.   

Conversely, Young Britons are also enthralled by the K-pop groups BTS and BlackPink.  

Netflix hits like Squid Game are prompting more and more Britons to learn Korean.

Recently, Korean became the seventh most studied language in the world.

Korean food is also becoming more popular in the UK and around the world.  

Indeed, the British magazine, Time Out, published a report earlier this year.

The title was: “move over Italian, the world has a new favourite cuisine.”  

Yes.  Korean cuisine topped the list, moving Italian and Mexican to the second and third spots, respectively.

(Sorry about that if there are Italians and Mexicans tonight)

The secrets of Korean cuisine are twofold :

it's not only healthy - it's also addictive in a good sense.

Once you like it, you cannot get out of it.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Yoon Suk Yeol government is aspiring to make Korea a Global Pivotal State, or GPS in short.

It is putting the promotion of universal values and the rules-based order at the center of our foreign policy.

Korea will actively contribute to

freedom, peace, and prosperity

in the Indo-Pacific and around the world.

This holds great promise for the future of the Korea-Britain partnership.

Relations between Korea and the UK are closer than at any time in the last 140 years – and they are on track to getting even closer.

On the occasion of our bilateral summit during the Hiroshima G7 in May,

our two leaders - President Yoon and Prime Minister Sunak - committed to work at pace

towards a much enhanced partnership focusing on defence, cyber, technology and economic growth.

The bilateral Strategic Dialogue that I had with my dear colleague, The Rt Hon. James Cleverly,

the British Foreign Secretary

attests to this optimism.

Foreign Secretary Cleverly and I

reiterated our commitment to advancing cooperation across the board - security, global supply chains, digital technology, space, cyber security, health and climate change, to name a few.

We also reaffirmed our shared determination to help defend freedom, maintain security and uphold the rules-based international order – in all regions.

Inter-Korean relations are continuing to face the challenge of North Korea's nuclear and missile threats.

North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un, recently visited the Russian Far East and appears to have discussed military cooperation with Russia.

This a disturbing reminder that security in Europe and in East Asia are interactive and inseparable.

Now more than ever, greater cooperation between likeminded countries like Korea and the UK – countries bound together by shared values and interests – are called for.

This is what is needed if the 21st century is to be safe for freedom and democracy.

The Republic of Korea will be joining the UK at the UN Security Council starting next year as a non-permanent member.  

This will afford our two countries even greater opportunities for collaboration on the multilateral stage.

The solidary between Korea and the UK are reaching new heights.

It is my distinct pleasure to share with you that President Yoon Suk Yeol will pay a State Visit to the UK in November this year.

He will become the first Head of State to do so

at the invitation of His Majesty King Charles Ⅲ since the royal coronation.

This historic occasion will allow us to push the envelope of the Korea-UK partnership even further.

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

Let me close with a message on the 2030 World Exposition.

172 years ago, in 1851, Great Britain enchanted the entire world with the first ever World Exposition in 1851 – the Great Exhibition.

The 1851 London Expo was an expo heralding

the first Industrial Revolution.

The 1900 Paris Expo was an expo of culture introducing the Art Nouveau.

The 1962 Seattle Expo was one that opened the new space era.

The 2000 Hannover Expo championed the environment.

The 2030 Busan Expo will be an expo of solidarity, not competition.

The city of Busan, and the whole nation of Korea, are aspiring to host the 2030 World Expo as a global solution platform.

Going back to the Korean War, the entirety of South Korea was being overrun by communist forces – save for Busan.

Busan was the last and only standing bastion of freedom and democracy on the Korean Peninsula.   

Without Busan, the Korea of today would not have survived.

Following the Korean War, Busan and its surrounding areas would become home to all the key industries that powered the Korean economic miracle.

These include automobile, mechanics, shipbuilding, nuclear power, aerospace, semiconductor and batteries.

Busan is the very symbol of Korea’s miraculous transformation -

from one of the poorest countries in the world to the world's number 10 economic powerhouse in Asia.

The per capita GDP of Korea in 1953, when the Korean War ended, was only 67 dollars.

Last year, Korea's per capita GDP recorded 35 thousand dollars, which is a 500 times increase within 70 years spanning two generations.

We wish to share the extraordinary experience of Korea's phenomenal economic and technological advancement with the global community.

By hosting the 2030 EXPO in Busan, we seek to emulate what Great Britain did in 1851 – to enchant the world by showcasing what Korea has to offer in the age of artificial intelligence and quantum science.

We look forward to the UK’s invaluable support

for our bid to host the EXPO in Busan.

So with that, let me offer once again my heartfelt congratulations on the 140th anniversary of our diplomatic relations.

And I thank Ambassador Yoon Yeo-Cheol and Director of the Korean Cultural Center, Sohn Seung-hye for arranging this wonderful 'Korea Night' event at the Korean Embassy Residence this evening.

(Please give them a big round of applause.)

And thank you all for being here.

감사합니다. Thank you.