President Lee: "We Support Laos's Development Vision", President Thongloun: "Korea Is a Global Milestone"

President Lee Jae-myung is toasting with Thongloun Sisoulith, President of Laos, at the Korea-Laos official luncheon held at the Yongsan Presidential Office on the 15th. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

On the 15th, President Lee Jae-myung told Thongloun Sisoulith, President of Laos, who is visiting Korea, "Korea supports Laos's development vision," and proposed cooperation in key mineral industries and other areas. President Thongloun responded, "Korea's development experience serves as a milestone for many countries around the world."

President Lee made these remarks during an official luncheon with President Thongloun and his spouse at the Yongsan Presidential Office on the same day.

Delivering his welcoming address, President Lee said, "Laos is actively pursuing its vision to become a middle-income country and develop as a land-linked nation by 2030," and praised it as "a truly impressive vision." He added, "We will continue to pursue cooperation not only in infrastructure development and key minerals, but also in the field of education, such as government-invited scholarship programs."

President Lee noted, "Excluding neighboring countries that share a border, Korea ranks first among visitors to Laos," and added, "Currently, about 16,000 Laotian workers are contributing to the Korean economy, and more than 200 Laotian students are pursuing their studies in Korea, dreaming of a better future."

President Lee continued, "I have heard that the people of Laos have persevered and developed for thousands of years along the Mekong River," and explained, "Based on Korea's experience of overcoming the devastation of war to achieve national development and economic growth, we wish to participate in Laos's development process in areas such as rural development, disaster prevention, and healthcare."

During his welcoming address, President Lee also mentioned the similarities between Korea and Laos. He said, "In the sense that Laos is turning its status as a landlocked country into an opportunity, it resembles how Korea has turned the challenge of being a peninsula nation into an opportunity," and added, "The people of Laos and Korea have similar tastes in food." He also shared an anecdote about President Thongloun walking 6 kilometers to attend elementary school, saying, "I find that very similar to my own experience."

President Lee concluded his welcoming remarks by saying, "Buddha once said that meeting a good companion is like accomplishing everything in one's practice," and expressed his hope that "Korea and Laos, as good companions, will continue to further develop the relationship between our two countries."

President Thongloun expressed his gratitude by stating, "The Republic of Korea is an important partner for Laos in development cooperation," and "Korean government grant aid projects have greatly contributed to the development of Laos." He further remarked, "Korea's development experience serves as a milestone for many countries and provides valuable lessons for Laos as well."