President Lee: "My Respected Amigo Lula, Today Marks the First Step Toward Korea-Brazil Prosperity"

Yonhap News Agency

At a state dinner with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on the 23rd, President Lee Jaemyung said, "I believe that, on the occasion of this summit, Korea and Brazil will be reborn as exemplary partners that jointly contribute to resolving universal challenges facing humanity in the international community and on multilateral stages."

At the state dinner held that evening with President Lula and the First Lady at the State Guest House of the Blue House, President Lee said, "I am very pleased that the first state dinner since my return to the Blue House is with President Lula, a leader and friend whom I have long respected, an amigo (Amigo, friend)," and made these remarks.

President Lee said, "Since I entered politics, I have often heard that my political journey and life story are very similar to those of President Lula," adding, "This is not in the prepared remarks, but when people heard that President Lula and I were meeting, many congratulated us by saying it was a meeting of former boy factory workers."

He went on to say, "As a young boy, the circumstances were too difficult to bear, but my roots as an on-site laborer remain a source of unwavering pride," explaining, "Both my anger at an unjust reality and the sense of fulfillment I felt on my way home after finishing work all came from what I learned at the factory where I toiled over oily meals more than 40 years ago." He added, "The value of labor learned with my body and the dignity of human beings became the driving force behind my aspiration for a better world."

President Lee also said, "Because we have shared such similar life trajectories, from the very first time I met President Lula, I was truly delighted, as if I were meeting a long-time comrade and friend," and emphasized, "The peoples of our two countries will also overcome the physical distance between them, engage in deep exchanges, and come to share a sense of mutual trust."

After mentioning K-pop, K-beauty, and industrial cooperation between the two countries that are popular in Brazil, President Lee stated, "Because of the longstanding and steadily developing friendship between our two nations, and because Korea and Brazil each possess different strengths and potential, I expect that our bilateral cooperation will move forward vigorously toward a better future."

He then proposed a toast, saying, "I hope that, far in the future, tonight's dinner will be remembered as a meaningful first step in which Korea and Brazil dreamed of a future of shared prosperity."

In his response, President Lula said, "After learning about your life path, I feel that we are like brothers."

President Lula also referred to former President Kim Daejung, Hongik Ingan, the founding spirit of Korea, and Brazil's victory in the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, and said, "We have further developed these connections and have established a shared relationship of change, prosperity, and solidarity."

Attending the state dinner were senior government officials, including Deputy Prime Ministers Koo Yooncheol and Bae Kyunghoon, as well as heads of major conglomerates such as Lee Jaeyong, Chairman of Samsung Electronics; Chey Taewon, Chairman of SK Group and Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Koo Kwangmo, Chairman of LG Group; Chung Euisun, Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group; Chung Kisun, Chairman of HD Hyundai; and Kim Dongkwan, Vice Chairman of Hanwha Group.