President Moon holds summit with Kazakh President... Awarding General Hong Beom-do the Order of Merit for National Foundation

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] President Moon Jae-in held a summit meeting with Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the President of Kazakhstan, who is the first foreign head of state to make a state visit to South Korea since the COVID-19 pandemic, and discussed the development of bilateral relations as the two countries approach the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties next year. Prior to the summit, President Moon held an additional awarding ceremony of the Order of Merit for National Foundation, Republic of Korea Class, for independence activist General Hong Beom-do, with President Tokayev in attendance.

On the morning of the 17th, President Moon attended the Korea-Kazakhstan summit at the Blue House and expressed his gratitude for the repatriation of General Hong’s remains, which took place alongside President Tokayev’s visit to Korea. He also congratulated Kazakhstan on its 30th anniversary of independence and expressed his pleasure that the two countries have developed a friendly and cooperative relationship in various fields such as politics, economy, culture, and human exchanges over nearly 30 years since establishing diplomatic relations in 1992.

In response, President Tokayev recalled President Moon’s state visit to Kazakhstan in 2019 and said that they would continue to cooperate to develop the unchanging friendship and amicable relations between the two countries.

Kazakhstan is South Korea’s largest trading partner in Central Asia. The trade volume between the two countries, which was $1.5 billion in 2017, nearly tripled to $4.2 billion in 2019. The two leaders agreed to further expand cooperation in new industries such as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, healthcare, and space, while closely cooperating in response to COVID-19. Immediately after the summit, they adopted a joint statement containing evaluations of the significance of the repatriation of General Hong Beom-do’s remains, strengthening the strategic partnership, and reaffirming support for the peace process on the Korean Peninsula.

Before the summit, President Moon additionally awarded General Hong the Order of Merit for National Foundation, Republic of Korea Class. President Tokayev also attended this ceremony. President Tokayev had previously delivered two historical documents related to General Hong: his death certificate and his resignation letter from the Goryeo Theater, where he worked as a night watchman in his later years.

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