Yoon Holds Summit with Romanian President... First Activity Resumption of Kim Keon-hee in 130 Days

The First High-Level Diplomatic Event After the General Election
Discussion on Strategic Cooperation in Defense Industry and Nuclear Power

President Yoon Suk-yeol is shaking hands with President Klaus Werner Iohannis at the Korea-Romania Expanded Summit held on the 23rd at the Presidential Office in Yongsan, Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the morning of the 23rd, President Yoon Suk-yeol held a summit meeting with Klaus Werner Iohannis, President of Romania, at the Yongsan Presidential Office, discussing strategic cooperation measures between the two countries in defense industry and nuclear power generation.

This visit marks President Iohannis's first visit to Korea and the first bilateral visit by a Romanian president in 16 years. Last July, President Yoon met with President Iohannis during the NATO summit in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania.

During this meeting, the two leaders confirmed their commitment to cooperation across all fields?including politics and security, economic cooperation and investment, culture, education, and human exchange?through the adoption of the "Joint Statement on Strengthening the Strategic Partnership between the Republic of Korea and Romania." In particular, President Yoon pledged to strengthen the foundation for defense and defense industry cooperation and to support the expansion of exports of Korean weapon systems to Romania.

As part of building a partnership for defense industry cooperation, they agreed to establish a working-level consultative body (at the director-general level) between the two countries' Ministries of Defense. They also agreed to strengthen cooperation in the nuclear power sector based on the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on nuclear cooperation between the two countries.

President Iohannis is scheduled to tour Doosan Enerbility's Changwon plant on the 24th, which the Presidential Office said could explore opportunities to strengthen nuclear cooperation and the possibility of Korean companies securing orders. This summit is President Yoon's first diplomatic event since the general election.

President Iohannis's official visit will last until the 25th and will be accompanied by his spouse. First Lady Kim Geon-hee had accompanied President Yoon on his visit to the Netherlands on December 15 last year but had not appeared in public since returning; it is reported that she resumed public activities on this day after 130 days.