1. In commemoration of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha will host an Iftar dinner on June 22 for about 150 people, including diplomats to the Republic of Korea from member states of the the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and domestic and foreign figures related to Islam and the Middle East.

2. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has hosted an Iftar dinner during the month of Ramadan every year since 2004. The event has not only promoted friendship and cooperation between the ROK and the Islamic world, but also served as a good opportunity to disseminate universal values of religious tolerance and intercultural understanding and communication to the people in both cultures.

3. The 14th Iftar dinner will bring together people from various sectors, including diplomats to the ROK from the Islamic world in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, an imam at the Korea Muslim Federation, the vice chairman of the Seoul foreigners’ association, the principal of a Quran School, the head of a branch of an Islamic airline, the chairman of the Korea Institute of Halal Industry, the head of Korean Association of Middle Eastern Studies, the head of the Arab Film Festival planning committee, an Arabic calligrapher, students in the ROK from the Islamic world, academics, and businesspeople. The event is expected to become an opportunity for the participants to reflect on sharing, thoughtfulness, respect and tolerance, which Ramadan symbolizes.

4. As part of its public diplomacy, the Foreign Ministry will continue to work to enhance the ROK’s image through communication and cooperation with some 1.6 billion Muslims across the world, as well as with about 150,000 Muslims in the ROK.


* unofficial translation