Text and photos: Juan David Latorre
On Monday, 6 October, the Korean Embassy celebrated the Day of the National Foundation of the Asian country, with a reception offered by Ambassador Lim Soosuk to the Diplomatic Corps and members of the Korean community in Madrid.
In perfect Spanish, the Korean ambassador recalled his promise made a year ago to speak his words in the language of Cervantes, and so he did.
Lim Soosuk said that “I think Korea and Spain are like soul mates. Our two countries have a similar modern history. We both overcome civil war and dictatorship to achieve democracy and economic growth. We are nations of sea and peninsula, with similar populations, economies, regional sensitivities and even life expectancy. But above all we are friends and partners who share universal values. We operate in Defense, Defense industry and artificial intelligence and also in forums such as the G20, the United Nations, the European Union and NATO. Now that they are 75 years old, our side relationships are stronger than ever”.
“We have received high-level visits in Korea, such as the president of the Senate, Pedro Rollán, continued the Korean ambassador, and the presidents of Madrid, Catalonia and Navarre, with very positive results. In Spain, historic events have been held such as the Korea Season, LK Expo and K-Pop concerts with hundreds of thousands of attendees. Last week, Korea was for the first time a guest of honor country at series level, expanding collaboration on audiovisual content. Korean movies and series are a success on Netflix Spain, and more and more Spanish students want to study in Korea. In addition, Korean companies are investing in new sectors in Spain such as electronic vehicle components, batteries, artificial intelligence and health biotechnology, creating joint growth modules for the future.”
The Korean ambassador stressed that “every year, half a million Korean tourists visit Spain. Enjoy ham, tapas, paella, wine and flamenco. In the Museo del Prado or on the Camino de Santiago, Koreans are the Asian tourists you see most”.
“The motto of this 75th anniversary is Two Cultures, One Heart. Korea and Spain are distant countries, but they are close as heartfelt friends. We will continue to work together so that our friendship grows even more.”
