By Lee Jon-young

President Yoon Suk-yeol and First Lady Kim Keon-hee, who are on a state visit to the Netherlands, attended a state dinner hosted by King Willem-Alexander at the Royal Palace in Amsterdam on December 12. The dinner was attended by more than 210 guests, including members of official entourage, businessmen, and key figures from both countries.

During the dinner, King Willem-Alexander said that the Republic of Korea is no longer a distant stranger to the Dutch and that a "Korean fever" is sweeping the Netherlands, and that the Netherlands is very pleased that the Republic of Korea is now actively and proudly establishing itself on the world stage. He also expressed his gratitude for the President's visit, saying that the state visit has strengthened the special relationship between the two countries.

In his remarks, the President expressed his deepest gratitude to King Willem-Alexander for the state visit, noting that the special relationship between the two countries stretches back hundreds of years, beginning with Park Yeon and Hamel, and that the extraordinary sacrifice and dedication of the Dutch soldiers who came to the aid of the Republic of Korea during the Korean War laid the foundation for today's liberal democracy and prosperity.

The President said the two countries share universal values as model market economies and democracies in Asia and Europe, with bilateral trade reaching a record high of $16 billion last year, and bilateral cooperation expanding into future industries such as semiconductors, nuclear power, AI, and digital.

The President also emphasized that the people of the two countries are closely connected in various fields such as soccer exchanges, K-Pop, and study abroad, represented by the 2002 World Cup quarterfinal victory of the South Korean national team led by former coach Hiddink, and that the people-to-people ties between the two countries will continue to broaden and deepen over time.

As a global pivotal country contributing to the world's freedom, peace, and prosperity, the Republic of Korea, which is committed to strengthening the norm-based international order, will be the best partner to lead the global freedom coalition with the Netherlands, which is pursuing the development of the international legal order and leading the norm-based international order, the President said.