By Lee Kap-soo
The following is the full-text of President Yoon Suk-yeol’s address to the British Parliament.
My Lord Speaker,
Mr. Speaker,
my lords,
members of the House of Commons,
ladies and gentlemen,
It is my great honour to stand before the British Parliament – the Mother of all Parliaments.
The United Kingdom has been the pioneer of modern history.
It laid the foundation of liberal democracy.
It opened the era of global market economy.
The British people’s strong belief in freedom sparked
the Glorious Revolution. It was the birth of modern
parliamentary democracy.
The British parliamentary democracy inspired political
revolutions in America, France, and in other parts of
the world.
Democracy has taken root in nations.
Freedom and human rights became the property of
every individual.
In the late eighteenth century, the Kingdom of Great
Britain led the Industrial Revolution.
It innovated the way we produced goods.
It changed the economic paradigm.
It achieved an incredible, rapid economic growth
which the world had never seen before.
It is no wonder why London became the world’s
financial centre since the early nineteenth century.
Liberal democracy and market capitalism were all born
right here in the United Kingdom.
These British ideas changed every aspect of our lives.
They have promoted freedom, human rights, and
economic prosperity in the world.
And I know very well that Parliament has always been
the heart of this great nation.
My lords and members of the House of Commons,
The United Kingdom was the first European nation
to sign the Treaty of Friendship and Commerce with
Korea in eighteen eighty-three.
John Ross was a missionary from Scotland.
He translated the New Testament into Korean for the
first time in eighteen eighty-seven.
Earnest Bethell was a journalist from Bristol.
He founded in nineteen-ofour.
He also fought for Korea’s independence until he
passed away at the age of thirty-six.
Frank Schofield was a missionary and veterinarian
from Warwickshire.
He took part in Korea’s independence movement and
established a scholarship fund for Korean students in
need.
In nineteen fifty, the United Kingdom did not hesitate
to defend Korea’s freedom.
When the communist invasion put the fate of Korea on
the brink, the United Kingdom sent eighty thousand
troops to Korea.
It was the second largest sending state.
More than one thousand British men and women
sacrificed their lives to defend the freedom of a
faraway country they never knew.
Lieutenant Colonel James Carne and his battalion, the
first Glosters, showed great courage at the Battle of the
Imjin River.
Like the unit’s motto “By our deeds we are known,”
the noble sacrifice of the British Army will forever
remain in the memory of the Korean people.
Today we are honoured to have Mr. Colin Thackery
with us. Mr. Thackery, of course, is the winner of
“Britain’s Got Talent” twenty nineteen.
But he is also a proud Korean War veteran and
Korea’s honorary Veterans Minister.
Mr. Thackery,
On behalf of the Korean people and the government,
I thank you with deep gratitude and respect.
This past July was the seventieth anniversary of the
Korean War Armistice Agreement.
Mr. Thackery visited Busan again, the city where he
first landed during the Korean War.
There, he sang for the fallen heroes lying in rest at the
UN memorial cemetery.
It was a Korean folk song called ‘Arirang,’ a song of
remembrance for beloved ones.
His song touched everyone’s heart.
The war reduced Korea to ashes.
When it desperately needed foreign assistance, again
the United Kingdom did not look the other way.
The United Kingdom contributed more than twenty-six
million dollars to the UN Korean Reconstruction
Agency.
The United Kingdom supported the establishment of
Ulsan shipyard, Gori nuclear powerplant, and Ulsan
Institute of Technology.
As the second largest contributor, it helped Korea lay
the foundation as an emerging industrial country.
Thanks to the support from the nations of the free
world like the United Kingdom, Korea has since
written a story of miraculous success.
Korea was one of the least developed countries.
Now it is an economic powerhouse leading the
semiconductor industry and digital technology sector.
Korean culture is winning the hearts of global citizens.
Once a recipient of aid, Korea is the only nation in
modern history to become a donor.
My lords and members of the House of Commons,
This year we celebrate the one hundred fortieth
Anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties.
It will be an important and meaningful year for our
partnership.
Last spring, the United Kingdom forces participated in
the Korea-United States combined exercise for the first
time.
We are building new mechanisms for intelligence
sharing and cyber security cooperation.
Together, we will tackle North Korea’s WMD threats.
We will work more closely together to combat
international cybercrimes including cryptocurrency
theft and technology hacking.
Our bilateral trade and investment have thrived in many
areas like finance, logistics, service, and bioscience.
The FTA between Korea and the United Kingdom that
took effect in twenty twenty-one has added further
momentum.
We will begin negotiations to modernize the FTA
to strengthen cooperation on supply chains and digital
trade.
Tomorrow, Prime Minister Sunak and I will sign ‘the
Downing Street Accord.’
Our bilateral relations will be reborn as true “Global
Strategic Partners.”
Together, we will build a free and open international
order.
Together, we will cultivate sustainable growth and
prosperity for all of humanity.
We will broaden our cooperation to digital, AI, cyber
security, nuclear energy, and defense industry. It will
also include bio, outer space, semi-conductors,
offshore wind, green energy, and the maritime sector.
I kindly ask for your interest in and support for this
partnership.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We are now faced with a new set of challenges.
There are geopolitical risks like the war in Ukraine,
the Israel and Hamas conflict, and the North Korean
nuclear threats. They make unity of the international
community harder to sustain.
There are supply chain disruptions, climate change and
digital divide. They are widening economic inequalities
among nations.
Arnold Toynbee said, “Civilizations come to birth and
proceed to grow by successfully responding to
successive challenges.”
The Republic of Korea and the United Kingdom are
authors of dynamic and creative histories.
We must stand in solidarity and respond to many of the
world’s challenges.
One country alone cannot defend peace.
Korea stands united with the United Kingdom and the
international community to fight against illegal
aggression and provocations.
We will uphold established norms and international
order.
Korea will work with the United Kingdom to bolster the
political and economic security in the Indo-Pacific
region.
Korea and the United Kingdom will seek ways to utilize
nuclear power and other clean energy sources.
At the same time, we will assist countries most affected
by climate change in their efforts for green transition.
The new digital age presents us with new challenges to
our freedom and democracy.
AI and digital technology must serve to enhance
freedom and well-being.
We also need to prevent potential harm that may arise
due to their connectivity and speed.
Thus, we need to establish a universal norm that will
be accepted by the international community.
Prime Minister Sunak has shown strong leadership
in shaping a new order for the digital age.
He convened the first ever AI Summit at Bletchley Park
earlier this month.
I was there on-line to take part.
Last September, the Korean government announced
‘The Digital Bill of Rights.’
It sets forth five guiding principles of freedom, fairness,
safety, innovation, and solidarity.
The Korean government is committed to leading
international dialogue and cooperation on shaping new
digital AI norms.
It will work with the United Kingdom’s AI Safety
Network and the United Nation’s High-level Advisory
Body on Artificial Intelligence.
In addition, we will put more efforts to bridge the digital
divide and to drive digital innovation.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Korea and the United Kingdom share histories of
glorious challenge and response.
But we also share our charm in culture and arts.
The United Kingdom is the country of the Beatles,
Queen, Harry Potter and David Beckham’s right foot.
Korea is the country of the BTS, Black Pink, Squid
Game and Son Heung Min’s right foot.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Winston Churchill once said, “the price of greatness is
responsibility.”
It is time for us, as innovative partners, to contribute to
a better future for humanity.
The Republic of Korea, in partnership with the United
Kingdom, will join hands to promote freedom, peace
and prosperity for the international community.
It was a great honor for me to share with you
at Westminster the future that Korea and the United
Kingdom will shape together.
My Lords and Members of the House of Commons,
Let me end by paraphrasing a line from Shakespeare’s
Romeo and Juliet:
“For this friendship may so happy prove, to turn our
challenges to pure opportunity.”
God bless the great nation of the United Kingdom and
its people.
Thank you very much.
