South Korea’s president Yoon Suk-yeol has told Taoiseach Leo Varadkar he hopes for a dramatic increase in trade and investment between their two countries following this week’s trade mission. Mr Varadkar met Mr Yoon on the last day of his visit to Seoul on Friday as part of a trade mission that also included Minister for Enterprise Simon Coveney, Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris and Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue.
“The president said he hopes that this meeting and the trade mission visit will lead to a dramatic increase in trade and investment between the two countries. The president said he hopes to expand cooperation, especially in areas where both countries share strengths, such as the biotechnology industry. He expressed hope that exchanges between future generations of the two countries will also be further promoted,” Mr Yoon’s office said after the meeting.
They met at the Yongsan Presidential Office, inside a large complex of government buildings where Mr Varadkar was greeted by a guard of honour made up of soldiers, sailors and airmen from the South Korean armed forces. Inside the building a screen occupying an entire wall said “Céad Míle Fáilte. We welcome the visit of An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar”.
As they entered Mr Yoon’s office, the president showed the Taoiseach large photographs of himself and his wife and the dogs in the hallway outside. Government sources described the meeting as warm and confirmed Mr Varadkar raised the issue of LGBT rights in the context of a Korean court ruling upholding a ban on same-sex activity between members of the armed forces.
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“I congratulated the President on Korea’s election to the United Nations Security Council for the 2024-25 term and offered Ireland’s assistance, given our own recent term on the Council. I also assured President Yoon of our shared commitment to disarmament and non-proliferation,” the Taoiseach said.
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“The global impact of Russia’s war on Ukraine was a major topic of discussion, along with the escalating conflict in the Middle East, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel.”
Earlier on Friday, the Taoiseach laid a wreath at the Irish Memorial commemorating those born in Ireland or of Irish heritage who died in the Korean War between 1950 and 1953. US Army Sgt Gregory Sills played the Last Post after the Exhortation delivered by Waterford-born Oliver Cunningham, a policy and programmes officer with the US forces in Korea.
Seven Columban Fathers who stayed in Korea during the war lost their lives and Fr Donal O’Keeffe, a member of the order based in Seoul, delivered a prayer.
“70 years ago, the guns fell silent on the Korean peninsula. But this wasn’t the end of Korea’s division for paying for suffering, nor was it the end of the war,” the Taoiseach said.
“Ireland also has known bitter conflict, a divided island and a time of divided people. And I hope that the experience of Ireland in recent decades can give hope to our Korean friends. Hard borders can be opened, walls can come down and people can come together.”
