Yoon Attends Dutch State Welcome Ceremony... Pays Tribute at War Memorial with Highest Honors

President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife Kim Keon-hee, who are on a state visit to the Netherlands, attended the official welcoming ceremony at Dam Square in Amsterdam on the morning of the 12th (local time) and then moved to the war memorial to lay a wreath. The Taegeukgi and the Dutch national flags were raised at Dam Square, where about 280 members of the Dutch military band and honor guard lined up to mark the official welcoming ceremony.

President Yoon and Mrs. Kim met with King Willem Alexander and Queen M?xima, exchanged greetings, and then moved to Dam Square, the venue for the official welcoming ceremony. The Dutch side fired 21 gun salutes as the highest honor for a foreign head of state, and the national anthems of South Korea and the Netherlands were played in sequence. Following this, President Yoon and King Willem Alexander inspected the honor guard together.

President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife Kim Keon-hee are laying a wreath at the War Memorial in Dam Square, Amsterdam, on the 12th (local time).
[Photo by Yonhap News]

원본보기 아이콘

After the official welcoming ceremony, President Yoon and his wife laid a wreath at the war memorial. The war memorial located at Dam Square honors the victims of World War II, and it is customary for foreign heads of state visiting the Netherlands on a state visit to lay a wreath there.

The presidential couple first crossed Dam Square to move to the memorial, followed by Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema. Along the path from the square to the memorial, the color guard, military band, and honor guard lined up on both sides. In front of the war memorial, a wreath inscribed in Korean and English with "President of the Republic of Korea Yoon Suk-yeol" was placed. President Yoon and his wife laid the wreath and observed a moment of silence, then proceeded to the royal palace for a friendly luncheon with the royal couple.

The memorial features four male sculptures bound by chains symbolizing the suffering of war at the center, with two male sculptures symbolizing resistance positioned on the left and right. Above the male sculptures is a female sculpture holding a baby, symbolizing victory, peace, and new birth. Below the memorial is an inscription in Latin meaning, "Here lies the heart of the fatherland, a monument kept in the hearts of citizens, that they may see the star of God." Behind the memorial stands a semicircular wall. On the back of the wall are 12 urns containing soil from the 11 provinces of the Netherlands during World War II and execution sites and war cemeteries in Indonesia. Indonesia was a Dutch colony until its independence in 1949.

President Yoon Suk-yeol is reviewing the honor guard with King Willem Alexander at the official welcoming ceremony held on the 12th (local time) at Dam Square in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

원본보기 아이콘

Afterward, President Yoon laid a wreath at the war memorial honoring the victims of World War II and then moved to the royal palace for a friendly luncheon with the king and queen.

On the same day, President Yoon will visit domestic semiconductor company heads and ASML, the world's only advanced semiconductor equipment manufacturer. President Yoon has previously stated, "The visit to ASML will be an important turning point in the Korea-Netherlands semiconductor alliance." During the visit to ASML, the world's sole manufacturer of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment, detailed plans are expected to be discussed to maximize the complementarity of the semiconductor value chain by combining the capabilities of semiconductor manufacturers such as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. President Yoon will inspect the production site of the latest lithography equipment to be released next year with ASML CEO Peter Wennink and discuss cooperation plans in professional workforce training and next-generation technology research and development with key semiconductor companies including ASML. ASML monopolizes the global market for lithography equipment essential for ultra-fine semiconductor processes, making this a significant opportunity to greatly expand South Korea's semiconductor supply chain.

President Yoon will be the first foreign head of state to visit ASML's cleanroom. King Willem Alexander, Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, and SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won will also attend. The cleanroom is a specialized room designed to minimize dust and particulate matter in the indoor air and to control indoor pressure, humidity, temperature, airflow distribution, and speed within certain ranges. IT-related products such as semiconductors and displays are all manufactured in cleanrooms.

© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.