Commons Speaker and Korea’s ambassador view friendship treaty
8 March 2023
Sir Lindsay Hoyle welcomed the Republic of Korea’s ambassador to Parliament - on the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations.
The Commons Speaker marked the occasion by showing His Excellency Yeocheol Yoon a plaque received by his predecessor, Speaker Weatherill, in 1983 to commemorate a century since the 1883 Treaty of Friendship and Commerce was signed in Seoul.
Sir Lindsay arranged the meeting as part of his Speaker-led UK parliamentary diplomacy to establish enduring ties between countries and parliamentarians.
Mr Yoon said the Republic of Korea (ROK) could "learn so much" from the UK - which is home to 40,000 Koreans - because of its successful trading links.
He said ROK would forever be grateful to the 60,000 British troops who fought in the three-year Korean War, which ended in 1953.
He also used the opportunity to express his hope that Busan, the second largest city in Korea, would be chosen to host the World Expo 2030.
ROK has ambitions to follow in the footsteps of the UK’s Great Exhibition of 1851 – the first international fair to promote technology to the masses, he said.
Mr Speaker praised ROK for its shipbuilding prowess, adding that he was pleased that the Speaker of Korea’s National Assembly had united with him at a recent G20 conference in Indonesia against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.