Presidential Special Envoy Delegation Meets UK Government and Parliament Officials, Delivers Letter

[Financial News] The presidential special envoy delegation to the UK, led by Choo Mi-ae, visited the UK from the 17th to the 18th. The delegation included Choi Min-hee and Park Seon-won.
 According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 19th, the delegation met with Jonathan Powell, National Security Advisor, on the 17th and delivered a letter containing the President's message on strengthening Korea-UK relations. They reiterated the new government's commitment to deepening and developing the 'Global Strategic Partnership' between the two countries.
In particular, they agreed to further strengthen practical cooperation across various fields, including trade and investment, defense and arms, as well as cooperation on global issues such as climate change.
Additionally, they requested special attention and support for the Korean government's efforts to achieve substantial progress in resolving the North Korean nuclear issue and building peace on the Korean Peninsula. Powell highly praised Korea for overcoming its political crisis and demonstrating the recovery of democracy to the international community. He also recalled the broad exchange of views on strengthening bilateral relations through the first summit meeting between the two leaders during the G7 summit in June and expressed hope for close communication at all levels in the future. 
Subsequently, the delegation met with Catherine West, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, to explain the new government's foreign policy stance and discuss ways to expand Korea-UK cooperation. West appreciated Korea's high interest in international issues and expressed hope for close cooperation between the two countries on the issue of supporting Ukraine.
The delegation secured bipartisan consensus through a series of meetings with parliamentary officials, explaining the significance of this visit and contributing to the deepening of Korea-UK relations by revitalizing Korea-UK parliamentary exchanges in line with the government's cooperation strengthening policy. Nusrat Ghani, Senior Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons, expressed high interest in Korea, a powerhouse in advanced manufacturing such as semiconductors, and expressed willingness to strengthen cooperation in fields related to artificial intelligence (AI).
British MPs attending a luncheon hosted by the UK Parliament International Parliamentary Union Group evaluated that Korea's democratic resilience could be felt in the peaceful process of democratic recovery, while also showing interest in ways to activate educational exchanges for future generations. In a subsequent meeting with the Korea-UK Parliamentary Friendship Association, they discussed ways to deepen parliamentary diplomacy between the two countries and exchanged broad views on international affairs.
On the 18th, they met with Vernon Coaker, Minister of State for Defence, to evaluate the contribution of the UK, a firm ally that fought alongside Korea in the Korean War and has consistently supported Korea's peace and prosperity, and to explain the new government's foreign policy stance, while discussing ways to strengthen cooperation in the defense and arms sector.
Minister Coaker welcomed the visit of the special envoy delegation, stating that the two countries, which have complementary strengths in the defense sector, should continue efforts to strengthen cooperation in the military security field.
The delegation, through meetings with key figures in the UK government and parliament, conveyed that 'Democratic Republic of Korea' has returned to the international community, while explaining the new government's national philosophy and foreign policy. They also stated that they would respond firmly to North Korea's nuclear and missile provocations, but strive to reopen dialogue and exchanges between the two Koreas through measures to ease military tensions and build trust, opening the path to peace and coexistence on the Korean Peninsula.
The delegation held a wreath-laying ceremony at the Korean War Memorial, paying respect to the dedication of over 81,000 British soldiers who participated in the Korean War for the defense of freedom and democracy in Korea. A total of 81,084 British soldiers participated, of which 1,078 were killed, over 3,000 were wounded, and over 1,000 were captured.



rainman@fnnews.com Kim Kyung-soo Reporter