Yoon visits Wahat AlKarama Memorial, Grand Mosque, and holds ROK-UAE summit

On January 15, President Yoon Seok-yeol and First Lady Kim Kun-hee visited Wahat Al Karama, the UAE's national cemetery, as the first official itinerary of their state visit to the United Arab Emirates. 

President Yoon and First Lady laid flowers and held a silent prayer guided by Khalifa bin Tahnun, the head of the Veterans Affairs of UAE. They wrote in the guestbook, “We pay homage to the heroes who devoted their lives for the country and for world peace. The United Arab Emirates starts right here.” 

Yoon said “I can feel the spirit of the federal system of peace and harmony of the late first president Zayed (1918-2004). The architecture of the National Cemetery is imbued with deep introspection to properly honor those who devoted themselves to their country.” 

Yoon and First Lady then visited the Grand Mosque and paid their respects at the tomb of the late first president Zayed who is respected by the people of the UAE and said “It is a legacy of great human culture that needs to be preserved historically.” after observing the mosque. 

Before leaving the Grand Mosque, Yoon wrote in the guest book, “In the spirit of inclusiveness and harmony, the Republic of Korea and the UAE will firmly cooperate for world peace and prosperity.”

Following this, Yoon held a summit meeting with President Mohammed at the Presidential Palace Qasr Al Watan. 

They agreed to develop the “Special Strategic Partnership” between Korea and the UAE to the highest level. 

Yoon said that he was happy to have a meeting with President Mohammed on his first visit to the UAE in 2023, and that the first state visit since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1980 shows the strong will of the two countries to develop bilateral relations. 

Through this summit, Yoon hoped to further strengthen cooperation in nuclear, energy, investment, defense, new industries, health, medical care, culture, and people-to-people exchanges to develop the “special strategic partnership” between the two countries to the highest level.

President Mohammed sympathized with this and said that he was very pleased that Yoon had visited the UAE as the first state guest after taking office, and that he strongly hoped to further develop the strategic partnership with Korea, and UAE is ready to expand the fields of cooperation to space, smart agriculture, and water resources. 

Yoon invited Mohammed to visit Korea at a convenient time during this year, and Mohammed responded that he would visit Korea soon with a happy heart, saying that Korea was already his “second home” in his heart. 

The two leaders signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) containing 13 documents covering nuclear, energy, investment, defence and climate change. 

At the luncheon held afterwards, the UAE presented camel meat, which is said to be served only to the best VIPs, and Yoon expressed his gratitude for the hospitality of the UAE.

Mohammed said that although the two countries are geographically distant, the culture and customs of valuing family, respecting elders and welcoming guests are very similar. 

In addition to government figures, the state luncheon was attended by chairmen or CEOs of Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motor Company, Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SK), HD Hyundai, GS Energy, Ssangyong E&C, Hyosung, and Naver ESG.

 

Yoon visits ETH Zurich and talks with quantum scholars

On January 19th, President Yoon Seok-yeol visited ETH Zurich, Switzerland, and had a conversation with quantum scholars. 

This dialogue is designed to listen to trends in quantum technology development and seek strategies to become a leader in the field, which will be a game changer in the next decade. 

ETH Zurich is the alma mater of famous scientists such as Einstein and von Neumann, and is a world-renowned university that has produced 22 Nobel Prize winners and 2 Fields Medal winners since its opening. A number of excellent researchers, including Professor Andreas Ballaf, a world-renowned authority in the field of superconducting quantum computers, are currently working there, and it is leading quantum research in Europe through participation in the EU Quantum Flagship Program. 

Many officials participated in the conversation, including Korean-born world-renowned quantum scholar Kim Myung-sik, IBM Zurich Research Center director Alessandro Curioni, and International Cooperation at the Swiss Federal Office of Education Ambassador Jacques Ducre. 

Yoon said that the winner of the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics was born among quantum technology researchers, and that Korea plans to select and develop quantum technology as one of the national strategic technologies.

Yoon emphasized that Korea has the capability to secure technological power and will make efforts to contribute to the desirable future development of mankind through solidarity and cooperation with each country. 

Yoon also shared his opinion on how quantum technology can contribute to solving problems in human society. 

Meanwhile, prior to the conversation, Yoon toured Einstein's life and achievements at the library of ETH Zurich and looked around the collection. This world-class university library boasts over 7.8 million books and relics, including Einstein's school records, notes, and letters exchanged with colleagues.

백종원 기자  bridgekorea@naver.com