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| South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol and First Lady Kim Gun-hee are pictured at San Francisco Airport on November 17th (local time), before returning to South Korea on Air Force One after completing their schedule for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. [Yonhap] |
[Herald Economy= Reporter Jung Yoon-hee] President Yoon Seok-yeol is set to visit the United Kingdom and France on November 20th. This visit to the UK is the first state visit since the coronation of Charles III in May and the first in a decade since former President Park Geun-hye visited in 2013.
President Yoon and First Lady Kim Gun-hee will depart from Seoul Airport in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, on Air Force One. Upon their arrival in London on the afternoon of the 20th (local time), the presidential couple will begin their official state visit with a meeting with the Korean community.
On the 21st, they will attend the official welcoming ceremony hosted by the British royal family, a highlight of the state visit, followed by a luncheon hosted by the monarch and then deliver a speech in English at the British Parliament.
In his parliamentary speech, President Yoon will reflect on the history of the birth and growth of Korea-UK relations, and propose a future vision and direction for the development of cooperation that the two countries should pursue together. A meeting with some members of parliament, including the Speaker of the House of Commons and the House of Lords, is also scheduled before the speech.
Spokesperson Lee Do-woon emphasized, “This will be the second time President Yoon has delivered a speech in a foreign language at a foreign parliament, following his English speech at a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress during his state visit to the U.S. in April. Speaking in the local language is an attempt to reach out to not only politicians but also the people of that country.”
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| President Yoon Seok-yeol is seen here arriving for a group photo at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco’s Moscone Center on November 16th (local time). [Yonhap] |
On the 22nd, President Yoon will hold a summit meeting with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to discuss strengthening cooperation in digital, artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, nuclear power, and defense sectors. The two leaders plan to release a document called the ‘Korea-UK Accord,’ which broadly defines the relationship between the two countries. According to the presidential office, it is rare for South Korea to announce such a comprehensive relationship-defining document, excluding the U.S.
At a cabinet meeting on the 14th, President Yoon said, “Despite being the second-largest economy in Europe, the UK’s trade volume with South Korea falls short of that with Germany and Italy. This state visit to the UK will serve as an opportunity to further leapfrog economic cooperation between the two countries, centered on expanding our companies’ entry into the UK, advanced industrial supply chains, and scientific and technological cooperation with the UK.”
After completing his state visit schedule in the UK, President Yoon will move to Paris, France, on the 23rd to make a final push to host the 2030 Busan World Expo. With the Expo host city selection vote scheduled for the 28th, the plan is to put all efforts into the final push for the Expo. While in Paris, he will attend a representative negotiation dinner and luncheon with the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), and a national day reception.
President Yoon said, “I will meet with representatives from various BIE countries in Paris, where the final vote for the 2030 Expo will take place, and will make a final all-out effort to secure the Busan Expo.”
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| President Yoon Seok-yeol, who is visiting the U.S. to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, is entering the Korea-U.S.-Japan summit meeting held at the Moscone Center in San Francisco on November 16th (local time). [Yonhap] |
President Yoon is continuing his ‘diplomatic marathon,’ visiting the UK and France following his attendance at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit held in San Francisco, U.S. from November 15th to 18th.
During the APEC summit, President Yoon had a separate meeting and commemorative photo session with U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, showcasing the solid bond between Korea, the U.S., and Japan to the international community. It was the first meeting of the three leaders in three months since the Camp David summit in August. The three leaders also attended the second summit of the India-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), a U.S.-led economic cooperation body, organized on the sidelines of APEC, and discussed supply chain cooperation measures.
President Yoon also held the seventh Korea-Japan summit with Prime Minister Kishida this year. The two leaders also attended a separate Stanford University roundtable discussion in the afternoon to discuss advanced technology cooperation between Korea and Japan, and between Korea, the U.S., and Japan.
However, a much-anticipated summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping did not materialize. On the 16th, just before the start of the first session of the APEC summit, President Yoon met with President Xi and exchanged pleasantries, but their conversation lasted only about three minutes.
At the APEC summit, President Yoon proposed a direction for APEC to pursue in the midst of the climate crisis and declared that South Korea would play a leading role in the international community’s efforts to build a ‘resilient supply chain.’
Spokesperson Lee said, “President Yoon emphasizes that ‘diplomacy is also economy, livelihood, and job creation.’ Attracting foreign investment through summit diplomacy can contribute directly to our economic growth and create good jobs.”
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