President Lee Jae-myung, who is on a state visit to Mongolia, attended a state banquet hosted by Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh yesterday (July 10). During the event, he stated, "South Korea and Mongolia are nations that view each other not as strangers, but as close friends, sharing deep trust and a special bond."

According to a written briefing by Kang Yu-jeong, the Senior Presidential Secretary for Spokesperson Affairs, President Lee mentioned that during the summit, the two leaders declared a "Golden Age of Korea-Mongolia Cooperation" and agreed to further develop their strategic partnership. He emphasized, "We will continue to expand cooperation that our citizens can feel in their daily lives."

President Lee referred to the Mongolian word "Anda," which means a true friend, and promised that South Korea would be an "Anda" to Mongolia, serving as a partner for new leaps and development.

He also drew laughter from the attendees by saying, "I have heard that Mongolians have such good eyesight that they can even see license plates beyond the horizon. Is that true?" He added that South Korea is second to none in its ability to recognize true friends and partners for the future, the spokesperson reported.

In his banquet speech, President Khurelsukh also highly praised the "Joint Declaration on Future Cooperation between Korea and Mongolia" adopted during the summit, as well as the signing of various cooperation agreements across multiple fields.

In particular, he noted that the people of both countries have maintained brotherly friendship throughout their long history and that both nations share a proverb meaning "you must get to know a person personally to truly understand them." He expressed his hope that based on this empathy and trust, the friendship between the two peoples and their strategic partnership would continue to flourish.

During the banquet, when Mongolian singer Gantulga began to sing the Korean song "Family Photo," a video was displayed on the stage screen featuring edited photos from President Lee's past, including his wedding photo with First Lady Kim Hye-kyung, as well as images from his time serving as the Mayor of Seongnam and the Governor of Gyeonggi Province.

Approximately 40 South Korean business leaders also attended this state banquet.

(Photo: Yonhap News)