President Lee: "Türkiye Is a Brother Nation That Shares Blood Ties, with a Blueprint for Shared Prosperity in Nuclear Power and Defense"

Turkish President Erdogan Makes State Visit to South Korea
About 80 Attend, Including Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun

President Lee Jae-myung said at a dinner with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was on a state visit to South Korea on the 3rd, that "the two countries have laid out a blueprint for shared prosperity in diverse fields, from nuclear power, defense and infrastructure to advanced technology, biotechnology and energy."

President Lee made the remarks in a toast at the dinner held that day at the state guesthouse in Cheong Wa Dae. He said, "I believe Your Excellency's visit symbolizes a meeting of the past and present of our two countries, and of the future we will build together," before proposing a toast with the words, "I wish endless development to Türkiye, an eternal brother nation that shares blood ties with the Republic of Korea."

President Lee Jaemyung delivers a toast at a state banquet welcoming Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to South Korea at the Blue House on Nov. 3, 2026. Yonhap News Agency

President Lee also welcomed Erdogan, saying, "I heard that you often quote poetry, so I would like to follow your example and express today's meeting with a line of poetry." He continued, "These are words by poet Jeong Hyeon-jong in his poem 'A Visitor': 'When someone comes to visit, their past, present and future come with them.'"

President Erdogan responded, "I am very pleased that the relationship between our two countries, which grew into a blood alliance through the sacrifices of our brave soldiers for the freedom and independence of the Republic of Korea 76 years ago, continues to remain at a special level today."

About 80 people attended the dinner, including officials from the governments of both countries and business leaders such as Euisun Chung, Executive Chair of Hyundai Motor Group; Jang In-hwa, chairman of POSCO Group; and Lee Yong-bae, CEO of Hyundai Rotem.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.