President Lee Jae-myung is toasting with Tarman Shanmugaratnam, President of Singapore, at the official state visit dinner held at the Capella Hotel in Singapore on the 2nd. Photo by Yonhap News
On March 2 (local time), President Lee Jae-myung stated at the state banquet with President Tharman Shanmugaratnam of Singapore, "I trust that you will continue to provide steadfast support for our government's efforts to open a channel for inter-Korean dialogue and achieve tangible progress toward peace on the Korean Peninsula."
President Lee held the state banquet with President Tharman at the Capella Hotel on Sentosa Island that day. The Capella Hotel is the site where Kim Jong Un, Chairman of North Korea's State Affairs Commission, and U.S. President Donald Trump held the first North Korea-U.S. summit on June 12, 2018.
In his dinner speech, President Lee remarked, "This place symbolizes Singapore's 'leadership for peace' in diplomacy, which has maintained friendly relations based on trust and respect with countries of differing positions," adding, "Today's banquet holds a special significance."
President Lee went on to say, "Singapore and the Republic of Korea need each other on the path to new prosperity through digital connectivity and technological innovation," and emphasized, "I hope that, as innovative, responsible middle powers leading the future, both countries will work together to uphold an international order that is innovative, open, and inclusive."
During the toast, President Tharman directly referenced Korean culture and content. Introducing himself as "someone with a special fondness for food," he shared that he is a fan of the Korean Netflix variety show "Black and White Chef." He also mentioned that he is paying particular attention to the military service of BTS members ahead of their scheduled concert in Singapore this December, which drew laughter from the attendees.
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