1. The government of the Republic of Korea has decided to send Representative Han Sun-kyo of the ruling Saenuri Party as special envoy of President Park Geun-hye to the inauguration ceremony of President Juan Manuel Santos Calderon of Colombia, which is set for August 7.

◦ Representative Lee Jang-woo of the same party will accompany special envoy Han.

2. President Santos has actively sought to increase substantive cooperation with the ROK in a wide range of sectors, including economy, trade, infrastructure and defense industry, since his first election as President of Colombia in 2010. He made a state visit to the ROK in September 2011.

3. On August 6, the day before the inauguration ceremony, special envoy Han will make a courtesy call on President Santos and convey the willingness of President Park Geun-hye and the ROK government to deepen and advance the friendly and cooperative ties between the two countries.

◦ On the sidelines of the inauguration ceremony, the special envoy will meet with leaders of the Korean community in Colombia to discuss ways to ensure the safety of the local Koreans and improve the business conditions for Korean companies operating in the country.

4. Colombia is the only Latin American country that sent troops to fight alongside the ROK in the Korean War. As such, it is the ROK’s important friend in Latin America with which the ROK has expanded cooperation in various fields since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1962. In particular, the two countries have lately been seeing dynamic advances in their mutually beneficial cooperative ties in a wide range of sectors, such as trade, infrastructure and defense industry. The ROK government delegation to Colombia is expected to play a role in the further enhancement of the friendship and cooperation between the two countries. 


                 Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations of MOFA

* unofficial translation