President Yoon's 7-Day UK and France Tour
Wearing Black & White Suits with Mrs. Kim
First State Invitation from Charles III... Summit Meeting with UK Prime Minister
President Yoon Suk-yeol departed on the 20th for a state visit to the United Kingdom and a visit to France. President Yoon plans to strengthen cooperation with the UK, which is seeking to regain global influence through science and technology, finance, trade, and diplomacy, while aiming to create a dramatic turnaround in the bid to host the Expo in France.
President Yoon and his wife, First Lady Kim Geon-hee, departed on the presidential aircraft, Air Force One, from Seongnam Seoul Airport. At the airport, People Power Party leader Kim Ki-hyun, floor leader Yoon Jae-ok, Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min, First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Jang Ho-jin, Presidential Chief of Staff Kim Dae-gi, and Senior Secretary for Political Affairs Lee Jin-bok came out to see off the presidential couple. Philippe Bertoux, the French Ambassador to Korea, and Gareth Weir, the British Charg? d'Affaires to Korea, were also present.
Wearing a black suit and tie, President Yoon shook hands in turn with the farewell party along with First Lady Kim, who wore a white jacket, before heading to Air Force One.
President Yoon and First Lady Kim will visit London, UK, on the invitation of King Charles III. President Yoon is the first head of state invited as a state guest since King Charles III's coronation this year, and the state visit will last for four days and three nights. Earlier, on the 7th, King Charles III welcomed the presidential couple's state visit in his first King's Speech since his accession.
On the 20th (local time), President Yoon will arrive in London and immediately begin his UK schedule with a meeting with the Korean community. On the following day, the 21st, the official state visit schedule will begin with a formal welcome ceremony. At the ceremony, the Prince and Princess of Wales will greet the presidential couple at their accommodation and accompany them to the Horse Guards Parade ground, the venue for the welcome ceremony.
The UK side plans to extend the highest level of hospitality to President Yoon, including a 41-gun salute and a carriage procession. President Yoon will then deliver a speech in English at the UK Parliament, reviewing the development of Korea-UK relations and discussing the future direction of the two countries. This will be President Yoon's second speech in English at a foreign parliament, following his joint address to the US Congress during his state visit in April. After the speech, President Yoon will attend a state banquet at Buckingham Palace.
On the third day of the UK visit, the 22nd, President Yoon will begin a full schedule of economic and science and technology cooperation. He will attend the 'Korea-UK Business Forum,' attended by over 200 businesspeople from both countries, where he will oversee the signing of memorandums of understanding (MOUs) in various fields such as advanced industries, energy, and finance. He will also visit the Korea-UK Future Science and Technology Forum hosted by the Royal Society to explore cooperation in science and technology between the two countries.
A Korea-UK summit with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is also scheduled. President Yoon will visit 10 Downing Street, the Prime Minister's residence, to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation in areas including digital technology, artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, nuclear power, defense, biotechnology, space, semiconductors, offshore wind power, and clean energy. They plan to adopt the 'Korea-UK Accord,' a document outlining the future cooperation direction between the two countries.
Following the 'Korea-UK Bilateral Framework' signed last June, which addressed five areas including political affairs, global public goods, trade and prosperity, defense and security, and shared values, the adoption of the Korea-UK Accord is expected to redefine bilateral relations. Lee Do-woon, spokesperson for the Presidential Office, stated at a briefing on the 19th, "It is unprecedented for our country, excluding the United States, to announce a comprehensive relationship-defining document in the form of an accord."
Afterward, President Yoon will attend a dinner hosted by the Mayor of the London Financial District with the economic delegation. London, along with New York, is one of the two major financial cities, and this dinner is expected to enhance financial cooperation between the two countries. Choi Sang-mok, Senior Secretary for Economic Affairs at the Presidential Office, explained, "Since Brexit, the UK has established a new foreign strategy called 'Global Britain' and concluded negotiations to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in July, strengthening cooperation with the Asia-Pacific region. Through this state visit, the first by a Korean president in 10 years, we plan to create a turning point to elevate economic cooperation with the UK, which shares universal values of liberal democracy and market economy."
On the last day of the UK state visit, the 23rd, President Yoon will visit the Churchill War Rooms and bid farewell to the King before concluding the state visit and moving directly to Paris, France.
President Yoon will hold a dinner and reception for representatives of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) stationed in Paris over one night and two days until the 24th, promoting the final stages of the bid for the Busan Expo. The vote for the 2030 Expo host city will take place on the 28th in Paris. Kim Tae-hyo, First Deputy Director of the National Security Office, said about this Paris visit, "President Yoon will express our strong will and preparedness for hosting the '2030 Busan World Expo' and will devote all efforts to the final bid negotiations. He will personally meet with BIE member country representatives who will vote on-site."
President Yoon will return home on the 25th and arrive at Seongnam Airport on the morning of the 26th, Korean time.
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