President Lee: "The Time of Asian Democracy Begins in South Korea and Timor-Leste"

President Lee Jae-myung held a summit with East Timorese President José Ramos-Horta and stated, "Given that both nations have set exemplary models for the development of democracy in Asia, I would like to say that 'the time of Asian democracy begins in South Korea and Timor-Leste.'"

President Lee made the remarks during a joint press announcement following the summit with President Ramos-Horta at Cheong Wa Dae on Friday, November 6, noting, "Coincidentally, our two countries share the same time zone."

"The Republic of Korea will remain a good friend and reliable partner in Timor-Leste's journey toward a new leap forward," Lee said. "This will mark an important turning point in developing the special bond forged through peace and democracy between our two nations into a partnership toward the future."

Citing the Sangroksoo Unit dispatched in 1999 for peace and reconstruction in East Timor, President Lee described it as "a symbol demonstrating the exceptional solidarity between the two nations."

President Lee also highlighted President Ramos-Horta's history as a 1996 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, assessing, "South Korea and Timor-Leste share the special commonality of having safeguarded peace and democracy through the steadfast will of our peoples without yielding to historical trials."

President Ramos-Horta referred to the "Revolution of Light" that emerged following the illegal martial law decree on December 3, 2024, calling it "extremely meaningful and deserving of high praise from the international community," and added that he would "actively nominate it for the Nobel Peace Prize."

"The 'Revolution of Light' was not merely a single event; a great deal of experience was accumulated through it," Ramos-Horta added. "For that reason, I will very actively and definitely recommend the 'Revolution of Light' to the Nobel Committee for the Nobel Peace Prize."

During the summit, the two countries agreed to expand substantive cooperation in forward-looking areas such as intellectual property and climate change response, while enhancing development cooperation to support Timor-Leste's sustainable economic and social progress.

They also agreed to strengthen coordination to counter transnational crime, promote cooperation in labor and education, and establish a new regular bilateral consultative body.

The two leaders also discussed ways to cooperate closely for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, across the region, and throughout the international community.

"I explained our administration's firm philosophy that creating a peace that eliminates the need to fight is the surest security, and introduced our three blueprints for peaceful coexistence," President Lee said. "President Ramos-Horta expressed his full support for our government's efforts to achieve peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and cooperation."

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.