[Unofficial Translation] 

Good afternoon,

I’d like to thank President Petr Pavel for his warm hospitality.

And I am deeply sorry for the loss of lives and damage to properties recently caused by Storm Boris in the eastern part of the Czech Republic. On behalf of the Korean people, I sincerely wish the people of Czechia a quick recovery.

Dear people of the Czech Republic,

It’s a great pleasure to pay an official visit to the Czech Republic, one of Korea’s key partners in Europe, ahead of the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our two countries next year.

Since establishing diplomatic ties in 1990, shortly after the fall of the Iron Curtain in Europe, our two countries have rapidly expanded mutually beneficial cooperation.

Today, the Republic of Korea is the fourth-largest investor in the Czech Republic, with cumulative investments totaling €3 billion.

Our annual bilateral trade has reached record highs for four years in a row.

Many leading Korean businesses have established a presence here in the Czech Republic, a manufacturing powerhouse and production hub in Europe, contributing to the industrial development and economic growth of Czechia. The volume of two-way tourism has also steadily increased.

World-renowned Czech writers, musicians and artists are widely appreciated in Korea, while Korean culture spread through Hallyu, is immensely popular in the Czech Republic.

Today, President Pavel and I had a comprehensive review of our bilateral cooperation which has come a long way since our two countries established diplomatic relations.

We also had in-depth discussions on ways to further expand and elevate our strategic partnership, shaping our relationship into a more forward-looking and mutually beneficial one.

First, we agreed that the Republic of Korea and the Czech Republic, as partners sharing universal values such as freedom, human rights, and the rule of law, should expand our mutually beneficial cooperation and deepen our strategic partnership, in the face of a global polycrisis and growing threat of authoritarianism.

To this end, our two countries agreed to fully reinforce cooperation in all fields, including politics, economy, culture, science and technology as well as foreign affairs, national security, defense, and the defense industry, as next year marks the 35th anniversary of the establishment of our diplomatic ties and the 10th anniversary of our strategic partnership.

Notably, our two countries agreed to strengthen strategic coordination to foster high-tech industries, ensure energy security and respond to the climate crisis, starting with the construction of new reactors at the Dukovany Nuclear Power Station, for which Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power was selected as the preferred bidder this past July.

I told President Pavel that the new reactors at Dukovany to be built together by Korean and Czech companies, will serve as a milestone in the shared growth of our economies and energy cooperation, and that they provide crucial opportunities to strengthen our strategic partnership.

I also made it clear that the Korean government will carefully monitor and meticulously see to every detail to ensure that the rest of the process proceeds as planned until the final contract is signed next year.

Besides cooperation in nuclear power, our two countries also agreed to explore concrete ways to work together in the fields of biohealth, digital technologies, and transportation infrastructure.

This way, we will develop our cooperation beyond the field of manufacturing industries, building the foundation for shared future growth together based on cutting-edge technology and applied science.

During today’s summit, we also had extensive discussions on a wide range of pertinent global issues, including the North Korean nuclear issue, situation in Northeast Asia, and the war in Ukraine.

President Pavel and I agreed that the security of the Indo-Pacific region and Europe are inseparable, and that the Republic of Korea and the Czech Republic, sharing key values, are optimal partners that can help each other on the global stage.

In particular, we reaffirmed that North Korea has nothing to gain from its reckless, irrational provocations that undermine peace and stability, and that the unlawful military cooperation between Russia and North Korea in violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions poses a grave threat to international peace and security.

Our two countries concurred on the need to closely coordinate to ensure that the international community sends a resolute and consistent message against this threat, and that the U.N. Security Council sanctions on North Korea are fully implemented.

Moreover, by building upon our strong solidarity with and support for Ukraine, we agreed to work together on devising effective support measures, so that the Ukrainian people can once again restore their normal lives in peace.

Our two governments will actively support companies from both sides that wish to participate in various reconstruction projects in Ukraine, so that they can embark on concrete cooperation such as information sharing, joint project development, and attracting investment together.

As a reliable friend of the Czech Republic, the Republic of Korea will put its utmost effort to ensure the thorough implementation of the outcomes of today’s summit.

Once again, I express my deepest gratitude to President Pavel and the government and people of the Czech Republic for extending such a warm welcome to me and my delegation today.

Thank you.