Yoon Promises 'Normalization of Abuses' in UAE, "Will Rally National Capabilities"

Attended the Korean Diaspora Meeting: "Korea-UAE Best Partners"

[Abu Dhabi=Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] President Yoon Suk-yeol stated, "In the second year of the government's launch, I will unite all national capabilities to normalize the malpractices that hinder the prosperity of the Republic of Korea and create new growth engines." President Yoon pointed to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as "the optimal cooperation partner sharing the experience of achieving remarkable economic development," emphasizing, "We will lay the groundwork for a groundbreaking leap toward the future joint prosperity of the two countries."

President Yoon arrived in the UAE on the 14th (local time) and attended a meeting with compatriots as his first schedule of the visit. At the meeting held at a hotel in Abu Dhabi, President Yoon said, "It is an honor and a great pleasure to be the first Korean president to make a state visit to the UAE and to spend my first schedule with you, the compatriots."

President Yoon Suk-yeol and First Lady Kim Keon-hee, who are on a state visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), are entering the UAE compatriots meeting held at a hotel in Abu Dhabi on the 14th (local time).
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Regarding the UAE, he said, "It is the only Middle Eastern country that has established a special strategic partnership with us, a brotherly nation." He continued, "The construction of the Barakah nuclear power plant, which means 'a blessing bestowed by God,' marked a leap forward in bilateral relations, and recently, the scope of cooperation has expanded from energy and construction infrastructure to healthcare, defense, and culture." Especially about the Barakah nuclear power plant, he added, "The government will do its best to meet the hopes of our compatriots who expect a historic cooperative project that can follow the success of Barakah."

He reiterated the 'normalization of malpractices' that he has consistently emphasized domestically since the end of last year. President Yoon said, "This year, I will unite all national capabilities to normalize the malpractices that hinder the prosperity of the Republic of Korea and create future growth engines," adding, "We will explore all measures so that our companies can play a leading role in overcoming challenges in the global economic order, such as supply chain restructuring and climate change."

He also addressed the compatriots, saying, "Proud compatriots ventured into the Middle East during the economic crisis caused by the oil shock in the 1970s and turned the crisis into an opportunity," evaluating, "It was thanks to the sweat and passion of our compatriots who pioneered the Middle Eastern market that our construction workers, businesspeople, and medical professionals were able to join forces and achieve fruitful results."

Meanwhile, about 180 people attended the meeting with compatriots, including President Yoon, First Lady Kim Keon-hee, presidential office aides, ministers from various departments including the Deputy Prime Minister for Economy, the UAE delegation, and local Korean businesspeople.