Holding the Hands of a Veteran, President Lee Says "Thank You"
First Lady Kim Offers Comfort to Veterans and Bereaved Families
President Lee Jaemyung, who is on a state visit to T?rkiye, paid tribute at the Korean War Veterans Memorial on the 25th (local time) together with First Lady Kim Hye-kyung.
Dressed in a black suit and tie, President Lee visited the memorial inside Korea Park in Ankara that morning, accompanied by his aides, to pay his respects. Attendees from the Turkish side included Alparslan Bayraktar, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources; Ya?ar G?ler, Minister of National Defense; Mahinur ?zdemir G?kta?, Minister of Family and Social Services; Sel?uk Bayraktaro?lu, Chief of the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces; and Beyazıt Yumuk, President of the Veterans Association.
President Lee then observed a moment of silence to a requiem and sang the national anthem together with the participants. T?rkiye is known as the "brother country" for having sent the fourth-largest contingent among the 16 UN member states that participated in the Korean War.
Four surviving veterans and thirteen bereaved family members attended the event. President Lee held the hands of a veteran and said, "Thank you." The veteran responded, "I am truly glad to meet you here on Turkish soil."
First Lady Kim personally adjusted the collar of a veteran's coat and embraced a bereaved family member who had lost her husband, offering comfort.
Earlier, President Lee held his first summit with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an the previous day. President Lee expressed that, as this year marks the 75th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War, it is deeply meaningful to visit T?rkiye-a brother nation-as a Korean president for the first time in 13 years.
The two countries agreed to continue cooperation in the defense industry based on mutual trust, including joint production, technology collaboration, and training exchanges. Regarding nuclear energy, both governments pledged to support the smooth progress of T?rkiye's new nuclear power plant project, in which Korea Electric Power Corporation is participating. In the bio sector, both leaders welcomed the signing of a final contract for the localization of blood products in T?rkiye, a project in which Korean company SK Plasma is participating, coinciding with the summit.
To review and implement practical cooperation in various fields, the two countries also agreed to resume the "Economic Joint Committee," which was last held in 2015. The Turkish side expressed hope that discussions on amending the Free Trade Agreement would also be addressed in the committee. Furthermore, both leaders attached great significance to the issuance of a Joint Statement on the Korea-T?rkiye Strategic Partnership, covering comprehensive areas such as political, economic, regional, and global issues, on the occasion of President Lee's visit to T?rkiye.
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