By Lee Kap-soo

“I would like to honor and pay a tribute to all war veterans, including Latvian nationals of our army who participated in the Korean war and especially to four fallen Latvian soldiers who sacrificed their lives for peace and freedom on the Korean peninsula.,” said Amb. Aris Vigants of the Republic of Latvia on Nov. 17.

Delivering welcoming remarks at the gala event on the occasion of the 105th proclamation day of the Republic of Latvia, which was held at the Hyatt Hotel in Seoul, Amb. Aris Vigants of Latvia said, “I believe that this particular page of our mutual history makes our bonds between Latvia and Korea even stronger.”

More than 500 distinguished guests from the Korean government and various other segments of Korean society, as well as the ambassadors and other senior officials from the Seoul Diplomatic Corps, attended the gala reception.

Among the distinguished guests were Hong Seok-in, deputy minister for public diplomacy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Kwon Kyong-hoon, honorary consul general of Latvia in Korea; Amb. Nurgali Arystanov fo Kazakhstan; Amb. Chring Botumrangsay of Cambodia; Amb. Delwar Hossain of Bangladesh; and Amb. Songkane Luangmuninthone of Laos.

Amb. Aris Vigants said, "Our collaboration with Korea has blossomed in diverse fields ranging from economics to trade as well as from education and culture. This year's visit of our minister of economics has paved the way for promising future opportunities, underlining shared commitment to strengthen our ties in fields of economic cooperation, trade and investments.

“Another recent remarkable milestone was the organization of Latvia days in Mapo district in Seoul. This week-long event in Korea showcased Latvia’s economic achievement, vibrant culture through culinary delights, folk music and other engaging activities.”

Noting that the enthusiastic response from Seoul citizens and visitors alike reaffirmed the firm connections of our two nations, Amb. Vigants said, “We believe that this event was a great success while hoping that we will be able to repeat something similar in the following years as soon.”

In welcome remarks, Kwon Kyong-hoon, honorary consul general of Latvia in Korea, said, "Latvia and Korea are surrounded by powerful neighbors and suffered there from, and yet we have developed of own history, culture and language.

"We both are not with many natural resources and we have nourished excellent human resources and education. Now we play leading roles in many areas such as economy, security and culture.”

As side events to celebrate the 105th proclamation day of Latvia, a choir performs traditional Latvian music, which reminded us of the sun, the thunder and a river symbolizing the strength, resilience and the flow of destiny that Latvians hold close to their heart.