President Lee Receives Italy's Knight Grand Cross Order of Merit; Lee Jae-yong and Others to Attend State Banquet

[Financial News Rome, Italy = Reporter Choi Jong-geun]President Lee Jae Myung will receive Italy's Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, Knight Grand Cross. It is the country's highest decoration, established under a law enacted on March 3, 1951. Lee, who is on a state visit to Italy, held a summit with Italian President Sergio Mattarella on the 11th (local time) and will also meet with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on the 12th. It is the first state visit to Italy by a South Korean president in 26 years. In particular, 13 business leaders, including Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, will attend the state banquet on the day.
Kang Yoo-jung, chief spokesperson at Cheong Wa Dae, said at a briefing held at the Republic of Korea Press Center in Rome, Italy, that President Mattarella will present Lee with the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, Knight Grand Cross, the highest decoration for a foreign head of state, at the state banquet in the evening.
Cheong Wa Dae said the award recognizes Lee's contribution to strengthening friendly ties between South Korea and Italy and expresses the highest level of respect. It is the first decoration President Lee has received from a foreign government since taking office.
The decoration was previously awarded to King Charles III of the United Kingdom in April last year, the president of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in February of the same year, the president of Bulgaria in April 2024, and the king of Belgium in October 2021.
At the state banquet in the evening, the Italian side invited business leaders in addition to South Korean government officials. Along with Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, LS Group Chairman Koo Ja-eun, and Hyosung Group Chairman Cho Hyun-joon, many other business leaders will attend. They include Federation of Korean Industries Chairman Ryu Jin, Samyang Foods Chair Kim Jung-soo, Hyundai Motor Company President Sung Kim, LG Chem Ltd. President Kim Dong-joon, NAVER CEO Choi Soo-yeon, HD Construction Equipment President Moon Jae-young, Korea Aerospace Industries President Kim Jong-chul, Hyungji Global Chairman Byung-oh Choi, Cosmax Vice Chairman Heo Min-ho, and Cureverse CEO Jo Sung-jin, bringing the total to 13 participants. The business leaders are also expected to attend the Korea-Italy Business Roundtable on the 12th to discuss ways to expand economic cooperation between the two countries.
In addition to business leaders, cultural and artistic figures have also been invited to the state banquet, including Chung Myung-whun, music director of Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Italy, Samsung Electronics Chief Design Officer Mauro Porcini, and fashion influencer Milan Nonna.
Chief Spokesperson Kang said, "This has created an opportunity that could lead to stronger economic cooperation between the two countries," adding, "We hope cooperation and friendship between the two nations will spread across all fields, including the economy, culture, and the arts."
The official summit with Prime Minister Meloni will be held on the 12th. This will be the third official meeting between President Lee Jae Myung and Prime Minister Meloni. Italy plans to show special courtesy by holding a separate welcome ceremony and a luncheon meeting before the official summit.
cjk@fnnews.com Choi Jong-geun Reporter