(Unofficial Translation)

Your Majesty, President Faus and business leaders,

It is my great pleasure to come to Barcelona, a city that has so much in common with my hometown Busan in Korea. I could sense how proud the President is of Barcelona from his remarks just before.

I extend my congratulations on the 60th anniversary of the Reunió Cercle d'Economia. I am also grateful to Your Majesty for inviting me to this meaningful event.

Every time Spain and the world faced challenges, the solutions proposed by this annual forum have provided insights for surmounting overarching economic, political and social problems.

Today, I am very pleased to join you at this forum to seek ways for a grand reconstruction beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. I hope Spain and Korea will be able to find solutions together.

Your Majesty and business leaders of Spain,

At midnight on May 9, countless crowds poured into the streets of Barcelona and other parts of Spain. The world saw hope on the faces of Spain’s citizens rejoicing as the national state of emergency to prevent the spread of COVID-19 was lifted after half a year. 

We will eventually rise above COVID-19. With vaccines being supplied, return to normal everyday life has begun and the global economy has also started to rebound. What is surprising is that we have created opportunities for a new leap beyond the recovery of a pre-COVID-19 state. As the transition to an online-based contact-free life quickens, the digital economy is rising spectacularly. With many countries participating in carbon neutrality efforts, eco-friendly, low-carbon industries are emerging as new growth engines.

Your Majesty and business leaders of Spain,  

Now, the countries that work closely with one another will become the main players on the world stage. Those at the forefront of the digital and green economies will lead the global economy.

Let Spain and Korea be the first to start this trend. I am convinced that, if we join forces, we can become those main players.

Both Spain and Korea are bridging nations that connect the continent with oceans. Our two countries have passed along the creations of new civilizations to other countries and did not fear taking on new challenges. Thanks to our citizens and businesspeople’s embrace of challenges, our countries were able to overcome painful histories in the modern and contemporary eras, thereby approaching the ranks of the world’s top ten economies and achieving democratization.

Both governments’ commitments are strong as well. Since last year, Spain has made massive investments through your Digital Agenda 2025 and 2050 Carbon Neutrality Strategy. Korea is also pushing ahead with our Korean New Deal that will invest 120 billion euros by 2025 with a focus on the Digital and Green New Deals.

There is significant room to join forces and increase the effectiveness of these investments. Our two countries have complementary industrial structures. The synergy through cooperation will also be tremendous.

Spain is a leading country in eco-friendly energy with new and renewable energy accounting for nearly 40 percent of its energy mix. Korea possesses advanced technological prowess in semiconductors and ICT – both at the core of the digital economy. We are at the forefront in such areas as future cars, batteries and the hydrogen economy. I am convinced that, if our two countries share experiences and know-how in the areas of our respective strengths, we can jointly lead the post-COVID-19 era.

With King Felipe’s state visit to Korea two years ago as a catalyst, our two countries have already begun working together on digital and green sectors. Cooperation in 5G technology and participation in solar and wind power generation projects in each other’s country are leading to numerous accomplishments.  

Now let’s take on challenges once again. Let’s pioneer a new path for humanity by connecting the continent and oceans. I hope that practical exchanges and cooperation between the businesses of our two countries will accelerate even more through the bilateral MOUs signed yesterday on Industry 4.0, startups and clean energy.

Your Majesty, President Faus and business leaders,

COVID-19 increased the physical distance between people, but paradoxically, it confirmed that the whole world is connected.

Spain and Korea are located far apart geographically – on opposite ends of the Eurasian Continent – but we will become the closest of neighbors with regard to our spirit of caring for and cooperating with each other.

Based on the friendship with Your Majesty and the Prime Minister, we have established a strategic partnership today. I hope that our two countries’ businesspeople will also become the best of partners to take the lead in the global economy. I’d like to see business leaders from both countries join forces and crisscross the world not only in the digital and green sectors but also in fields as diverse as construction, infrastructure, tourism and more.

Muchas Gracias! Thank you.