▲ Prime Minister Kim Min-seok greets attendees at a meeting with Chinese business leaders held at the South Korean Embassy in Beijing, China, on June 22.
Prime Minister Kim Min-seok met with Chinese business leaders in Beijing and stated, "Since the establishment of diplomatic ties, South Korea and China have been walking a path that has become even more solid, built upon a long historical foundation."
In his opening remarks at the 'Meeting with Chinese Business Leaders' held at the South Korean Ambassador's residence in China today (June 22), Prime Minister Kim said, "President Xi Jinping visited South Korea last year (on the occasion of APEC), and President Lee Jae-myung visited China as a state guest in January of this year," before making these comments.
He continued, "The biggest reason I wanted to come here was because of China's remarkable economic development," adding, "My greatest desire was to come and see it for myself."
He also expressed a sense of familiarity, noting that seeing the Chinese entrepreneurs felt like "meeting Korean business leaders I have known for a long time." He added, "I felt once again that South Korea and China share so much, from our appearances to cultural aspects and history."
Prime Minister Kim also highly praised China, stating, "I am very envious of the outstanding achievements China has made in science and technology, as well as creativity and innovation, and its leading role in areas such as the publication of scientific papers, where it ranks first or second in the world."
He further remarked, "I would like to hear about the secrets and experiences you have gained in building your businesses, and I also want to hear your thoughts on areas where there could be cooperation with Korean companies."
Attendees at the meeting included Zeng Xuezhong, Senior Vice President of Xiaomi; Ying Yufei, Deputy Director of the Jiu AI Research Institute; and Zhao Yang, Vice President of JD.com.
Prior to the event, Prime Minister Kim met with South Korean Ambassador to China Roh Tae-won to exchange greetings.
Ambassador Roh expressed his gratitude, saying, "It is even more meaningful that the Prime Minister has come to visit."
The meeting was the first official event of Prime Minister Kim's three-day visit to China, which began today.
During his visit, Prime Minister Kim will participate in various activities in Beijing and Dalian, including a special address at the Summer Davos Forum, meetings with high-ranking Chinese officials, and events related to the economy and veterans' affairs.
(Photo: Provided by the Office of the Prime Minister, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.