President Lee Jae-myung (left) and his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa shake hands during their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in Calgary, Canada on Monday. (Yonhap) CALGARY, Canada — President Lee Jae-myung said physical distance is the only barrier between South Korea and South Africa during his bilateral talks with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, highlighting room to further improve ties in a meeting Monday on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in Calgary, Canada.
Lee’s remarks came as he brought up the two nations’ uphill battles to achieve democratization, suggesting the two countries share common values.
According to presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung on Monday, Lee noted that just as South Africa transitioned from apartheid to democracy, South Korea became independent from imperial Japan’s colonial rule. South Korea achieved democratization after decades of military dictatorship, and most recently, demonstrated resilience during the political crisis that followed former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s attempt to impose martial law.
Ramaphosa responded by saying that what matters is the willingness of the two leaders to narrow the gap, according to Kang.
During the talks, Lee asked for Ramaphosa’s support for South Korean companies enter South Africa’s energy and manufacturing sectors. Ramaphosa acknowledged South Korean businesses’ contributions to industrial advancement and job creation in the country, according to Lee’s office. Ramaphosa expressed hope for closer exchanges between the two countries in the fields of education and technology, the office said.
Lee was also invited by his South African counterpart to attend the G20 summit to be held in Johannesburg in November, according to Lee’s office. South Africa will be the first African country to host the G20 summit.
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