President Moon Jae-in spoke by phone to Prime Minister Mark Rutte of the Netherlands at his office in the main building of Cheong Wa Dae for 20 minutes from 6:10 in the evening.

Prime Minister Rutte began by saying that he was pleased to talk to President Moon and congratulated him on his election as President. He went on to say that he had visited Korea in September last year and had been impressed by the beauty of the country. Noting the growth of bilateral relations into a comprehensive, future-oriented partnership, the Prime Minister expressed his personal wish that his relationship with President Moon would follow suit.

Furthermore, he explained that the Netherlands is deeply concerned about the behavior of North Korea and that the South Korean Government can rest assured about the support it receives from the Netherlands. He further expounded on the history of strong bonds between the two countries that dates back to the Korean War, thanking Korea for taking every opportunity to express gratitude to the Netherlands for its participation in the War. He also said he looked forward to meeting the President at the G20 Summit in Germany. Moreover, he said he had been briefed about Korea outpacing the Netherlands in the economic rankings among the G20 member countries. It was, he added, a disappointment for his country, but a blessing for Korea, offering congratulations.  

President Moon said that he was pleased to have the first phone conversation with the Prime Minister, expressing his appreciation for his congratulatory letter. The President congratulated the Prime Minister on the victory of the party he leads, the People`s Party for Freedom and Democracy, in the general election in March, thus remaining as the ruling party. President Moon said that the party`s victory was an encouraging result for all countries in support of European integration in that it helped stem the spread of ultra-right populism in Europe.

President Moon said he supported the Europeans` choice for integration and coexistence in recent elections, adding that their choice would serve as a great role model for the peoples in Northeast Asia. The President went on to say that Koreans were grateful to the Netherlands for sending troops to fight for freedom and democracy during the Korean War as well as for having consistently supported the South Korean Government`s North Korea policies, including the policy aimed at dismantling the North`s nuclear programs.

Noting that the Netherlands, a nonpermanent member of the UN Security Council, would be its president for next year, President Moon expressed his hope that the Netherlands would play a more significant role in solving the North Korean issue and would continue strategic communications and cooperation with South Korea. The President said he was looking forward to the opportunity to meet the Prime Minister in person at the G20 Summit in July and to discuss issues of mutual interest.

President Moon said he was also looking forward to meeting Dutch King Willem-Alexander, who is expected to visit Korea during the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.