열린장관실

Remarks by H.E. Park Jin

Foreign Minister of the Republic of Korea

Hello everyone.

I am Park Jin, Foreign Minister of the Republic of Korea.

I just returned to Seoul this morning after having accompanied President Yoon Suk Yeol on his State Visit to Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

It’s been a long flight, but it’s refreshing to see so many good friends and familiar faces.

Of course, it’s always a pleasure to see Ambassador Tamara Mawhinney.  

(And former Ambassador to Canada, 임성준.)

I want to acknowledge in particular, our two Co-Chairs, Dr. 박태호 and Ambassador Leonard Edwards.

I felt it was important for me to drop by today for three reasons.

First, this year marks the 60th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Korea and Canada.

The partnership between our two countries has been thriving, entering a “golden age.”

Indeed, much has happened over the past year that underscores the breadth and depth of our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

For instance, the inaugural 2+2 meeting of foreign and industry ministers took place last May.  

It is the first meeting of its kind for both Korea and Canada and it will help us better safeguard our economic security.

Moreover, little did we imagine that Korean firefighters would set foot on Quebec to help put out record wildfires in Canada this summer.

The fact that they stood shoulder to shoulder with Canadian firefighters during the 60th anniversary of our relationship, and the 70th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice, speaks volumes.  

We were grateful to see Prime Minister Trudeau personally boarding the plane to thank the Korean firefighters on their way back home.

As was abundantly on display during Prime Minister Trudeau’s visit to Korea in May, the bonds of trust and friendship between President Yoon and Prime Minister Trudeau run deep.

I too prize my friendship with my trusted colleague, Melanie Joly.  

Just this year alone, we’ve met on six separate occasions and spoke on the phone a few weeks ago.  

We also look forward to further expanding our cooperation to include defense industrial collaboration.

Second, this is the 20th gathering of the Korea Canada Forum – a Forum which has long been instrumental in drawing our two nations closer together.

As I look around this room, I see how this Forum is attended by the who’s who of Korea-Canada relations.  

With this impressive engagement, the Forum has been putting forward ideas and initiatives that help enrich our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

As an aside, I had the privilege of being present at the creation of this Forum in 1995.

It was at the meeting between President Kim Young Sam and Prime Minister Jean Chretien in Ottawa that this Forum was born.

Last but not least, I wanted to thank Ambassador Edwards for his many years of service and dedication as the Co-Chair of the Forum.  

Both as a diplomat and after his retirement from the foreign service, Ambassador Edwards has been a staunch champion of our bilateral relationship.

As Co-Chair of this Forum for the last decade, he has helped to nurture invaluable connections between our nations.

Please join me in giving Ambassador Edwards a warm round of applause for all that he has done.

And now this important legacy will be passed on to the new Co-Chair, Dr. Marc Garneau (마크 가노).

Dr. Garneau was Canada’s foreign minister – indeed he is Melanie Joly’s immediate predecessor.

We are fortunate to have Minister Garneau and the tremendous experience and wisdom he brings as the new Co-Chair.

Perhaps most importantly, he is a former naval officer.^^  And he is the first Canadian to have gone to outer space in 1984.

The Forum is now well-positioned to help take our partnership to the next frontier in space under his leadership.

Before I close, I wish to present Ambassador Edwards with a Plaque of Appreciation.

Thank you for so much for your unwavering commitment and dedication.   Thank you.