President Lee Jae-myung said Tuesday, ahead of his trip to Europe, that the journey is "aimed at broadening the horizons of cooperation amid a complex global crisis to further solidify the foundation of our economy and diplomacy."
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Lee said the same, noting that "the first country to visit is Belgium, which has developed its unique culture and traditions while respecting diversity." He went on to describe Belgium as "a logistics hub of Europe with an innovative ecosystem for the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises," adding, "It will be a reliable partner in expanding our companies' entry into Europe and creating new growth opportunities."
He also said, "The potential for cultural and people-to-people exchange is also very large," adding, "With BTS's first solo concert in Belgium coming up early next month, I believe cooperation connecting the future generations of both countries will deepen further." He further noted, "Especially, this year marks the meaningful 125th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the Republic of Korea and Belgium," adding, "I hope my first meeting with Prime Minister Bart De Wever will further advance relations between the two countries and serve as an opportunity to open a new path for future cooperation."
Lee departs for Belgium on Tuesday to begin a 10-day, eight-night trip to Europe. After arriving in Brussels, Belgium, he is scheduled to begin his first itinerary by attending a dinner meeting with overseas Koreans that evening, local time.
Over the past year since taking office, Lee has visited 14 countries, mainly allied nations, working toward Korea's return to the international community and the normalization of its diplomacy. This European trip is interpreted as a move to broaden the diplomatic stage to countries with which exchanges have been relatively limited and to support Korean companies' entry into the European market.
