President Lee hosts state dinner with Erdoğan; business leaders, including Euisun Chung and Chang In-hwa, turn out in force

[Financial News] At a state dinner with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on the 3rd, President Lee Jae Myung said, “I hope this visit will allow us to reflect on our longstanding friendship and take vigorous steps toward a new 70 years.” Ahead of the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties next year, he expressed his hope that the two countries would expand cooperation—from nuclear power and defense to advanced technology—on the basis of their longstanding friendship.
President Lee hosted a state dinner for President Erdoğan and his wife at Yeongbingwan at the Blue House that day. “Today, our two countries have drawn up a blueprint for shared prosperity across a range of areas, from nuclear power, defense and infrastructure to advanced technology, biotech and energy,” he said.
President Lee began his welcoming remarks with “İyi akşamlar,” the Turkish greeting for “Good evening.” He went on to say, “I am truly delighted to welcome to the Republic of Korea these distinguished guests from Türkiye, a country where Eastern and Western civilizations meet and which preserves a long history and rich culture.” He added, “I would like to once again thank you for the hospitality you and your wife extended to me when I visited Türkiye last year.”
Noting that President Erdoğan often quotes poetry, Lee also explained the significance of their meeting through poet Jeong Hyeon-jong’s “The Visitor.” After introducing the poem’s idea that a person’s visit carries their past, present and future, President Lee said, “I believe your visit symbolizes a meeting of our two countries’ past and present, and the future we will shape together.”

President Lee said, “Next year is a meaningful year marking the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties between our countries,” and expressed hope for a new leap forward in relations. At the end of his welcoming remarks, he said, “I wish President Erdoğan and the First Lady good health, and I wish boundless prosperity to Türkiye, our eternal brother nation bound to the Republic of Korea by blood.”
In his reply, President Erdoğan spoke of the significance of discussing the two countries’ future and cooperation agenda during his first visit to Korea in eight years. He responded, “I offer you my thanks with heartfelt respect, and would especially like to express my gratitude to our esteemed President Lee Jae Myung.”
He also emphasized the ties between the two countries forged through Türkiye’s participation in the Korean War. President Erdoğan said, “I am very pleased that the relationship between our two countries, which developed into a blood alliance through the sacrifices made by our brave soldiers for the freedom and independence of the Republic of Korea 76 years ago, remains exceptionally close today.”
He then mentioned President Lee’s visits to Türkiye last November and this July, and said he was glad to meet again. At the end of his reply, he said “Thank you” in Korean, drawing applause from those present.
Business leaders attending the dinner that day included Euisun Chung, chairman of Hyundai Motor Group; Chang In-hwa, chairman of POSCO Group; Lee Yong-bae, CEO of Hyundai Rotem; Ahn Jae-hyun, president and CEO of SK Chemicals; Kim Seong-gwon, chairman of CS Wind; and Yang Gi-won, CEO of Hanwha Systems. Also in attendance were Hwang Ki-yeon, president of the Export-Import Bank of Korea (KEXIM), and Jang Young-jin, president of Korea Trade Insurance Corporation (K-SURE).
[email protected] Choi Jong-geun Reporter