(Unofficial Translation)

Honorable Prime Minister Stefan Löfven and the Swedish delegation, I welcome you all to Korea. I can never forget the dinner hosted for me at the Royal Palace during my state visit to Sweden. I am pleased to reciprocate the hospitality you extended.

To mark the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between our two countries, we have held a wide range of events. In Korea, the Swedish design exhibition “Hej, Sweden” and photographer Erik Johansson’s touring solo exhibition as well as the Swedish Film Festival have been held. In Sweden, the “Hanji Fashion Show” and “K-Pop World Festival 2018 Sweden Preliminary” as well as the “Korean Culture Festival,” in which some 35,000 people participated, have been held. My appreciation goes to the relevant Swedish officials who have helped promote friendship between the peoples of our two countries.

Among the many events, there is one that I want to mention in particular – the screening of “Swedes in the Korean War,” a documentary produced in large part by the Korean Society, an association of Korean War veterans in Sweden.

Next year will mark the 70th anniversary of Sweden’s dispatch of a medical support unit during the Korean War. The documentary describes moving stories about that Swedish medical unit and reminds us of their sacrifice and dedication. This invaluable record will be passed down to our posterity as a great story about humanitarianism.

Koreans who received treatment at that time are now aged, but they still offer testaments to the longstanding affinities between Sweden and Korea. Once again, I’d like to salute the noble dedication of the Swedish medical support unit, which also helped a lot to establish the National Medical Center in Korea in the wake of the War.

Sweden, which marches now toward becoming a nation where everyone is equal and happy, renders numerous good examples and inspiration to the Republic of Korea as we share the same goals. It has already demonstrated that a grand social compromise is the path to sustainable growth and that inclusiveness is the basis for innovation. In addition, Sweden has proven that a mature culture of gender equality denotes the competitiveness of a nation.

Today, the Prime Minister and I agreed to work together more broadly to build innovative, inclusive nations where no one is left behind by building upon fairness, freedom and equality. Cooperation on ICT, startups and science and technology will promote innovative growth, and collaboration on gender equality and welfare will support inclusive growth.

I extend my heartfelt gratitude to Sweden for being a reliable partner for peace on the Korean Peninsula. Sweden’s wisdom that has helped build peace in many parts of the world will allow the Korean Peninsula to prevail over an arduous crisis and reach lasting peace eventually.

The Prime Minister’s visit has become our Christmas gift from Jules Tomten. On behalf of our grateful people, I propose a toast: I wish the best for your health and our two countries’ next 60 years. 

Skål!