(Unofficial Translation)

Thank you everyone. Honorable Mayor Martínez-Almeida, the councillors joining us here and the citizens of Madrid, encantado, I am glad to meet you.

It is my great pleasure to visit Madrid, the center of Spain – vibrant with the traditional and the modern as well as culture and the arts. Madrid is a blessed city with a variety of features like beautiful nature, splendid history and abundant cultural heritage. I was told there is a saying, “From Madrid to Heaven, and once there, a hole to glimpse at it,” and I can truly sense its meaning as I visit Madrid today.

The Prado; numerous other museums; street cafes; and Mesón del Champiñon, the restaurant frequented by Earnest Hemingway, all seem to have their own stories. I am very envious of the city’s world-class soccer clubs such as Real Madrid and Atlético de Madrid.

It seems to me that passionate and enterprising citizens complete this beautiful city. Saluting the leadership of the Mayor, who – with its citizens – runs Madrid in an exemplary manner, I extend my appreciation to all of you for presenting me with the key of fortune.

I believe that this key will bring great luck not only to me but also to the Republic of Korea and the Korean Peninsula. With this key, I will open the door to surmounting COVID-19. The citizens of Madrid will also be rewarded. I look forward to Madrid leaving behind the difficult times caused by COVID-19 and moving forward into a new future.

I express my gratitude once again for your warm hospitality, and I wish the city of Madrid everlasting progress and all of its citizens happiness. 

Muchas gracias, thank you.