Your Excellency Ambassador U Thant Sin(딴신), Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Good evening, Mingalaba!

On behalf of the people and government of the Republic of Korea, I would like to express my heartfelt congratulations on the 72nd Anniversary of the Independence Day of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar. I am truly honored to be here today.

As we are all aware, Myanmar has been at the very heart of the splendid Buddhist civilization since the era of the Bagan Kingdom. Myanmar’s wonderful cultural heritage, as well as the warmth of its people, attract visitors from all around the world. Korea is no exception – indeed, the number of Korean visitors to Myanmar is expected to surpass 100,000 for the first time in the year 2019. With the inclusion of the ancient city of Bagan as a UNESCO’s World Heritage site, I am confident that Myanmar will see even bigger numbers of people visiting in the years to come. And I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Myanmar once again on the inscription of Bagan as a world heritage site.

Distinguished Guests,

This year marks the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Myanmar. Over the past decades, our two countries have continued to strengthen the partnership at all levels.

Last year was a truly remarkable one year in the relations between our two countries. President Moon Jae-in’s State Visit to Myanmar in September was the first by a Korean President in seven years. And State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi visited Korea on the occasion of the ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit in November.

During the Summits held on both occasions, President Moon Jae-in and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi agreed to further cement the ties of cooperation in a wide-range of areas. The two countries agreed to firmly put in place infrastructure and institutional foundation needed to expand our interaction in the economic field. The Korea-Myanmar Industrial Complex, a project symbolic of our two countries' cooperation, is expected to contribute significantly to our shared growth.

The two countries have also further strengthened people-to-people exchanges. The number of Koreans visiting Myanmar increased more than 80% in first half of 2019, thanks to Myanmar’s visa waiver program. And we anticipate that the number will increase still further with the launch of direct flights between Yangon and Incheon offered by Myanmar Airways International (MAI) last December.

The two Leaders agreed to pursue in harmony Korea's New Southern Policy and Myanmar’s Sustainable Development Plan, which share in common the core values of people, peace and prosperity. I firmly believe that our combined efforts will indeed mature still further on the path ahead.

Distinguished Guests,

I believe you may have heard of Project K, a seven-member boy band in Myanmar. Combining K-pop with traditional Myanmar dance, they currently enjoy great popularity in Myanmar. In fact, State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi has even personally declared herself to be a fan of them. I believe this is an excellent example of collaboration in the arts field between Myanmar and Korea playing a vital role in truly bringing our peoples closer together. The recent co-production of “A Flower above the Clouds”starring actors from both countries has proved to be another fruitful initiative in our joint endeavors in the cultural realm.

Given the similarities in our people’s approach to life as seen in “Than Yaw Zin”, which is very akin to the Korean concept of “Jeong”, a sense of deep affection for our friends and family, I look forward to even stronger bonds between our two countries.

Distinguished Guests,

Myanmar, with a population of more than 50 million people, is a country blessed with outstanding human and natural resources. Through major economic reforms led by the NLD government, Myanmar has achieved rapid growth of 6 to 7 percent in recent years.

There’s a saying in Myanmar that: “A good tree can lodge ten thousand birds.” Myanmar’s continued steps toward reform and democratic transition will open up a future of greater prosperity not only for the people of Myanmar, but for its neighbors and friends as well. And Korea will stand firm as a trusted friend on Myanmar’s journey towards an even brighter future.

Lastly, I would like to extend my deepest appreciation to Ambassador U Thant Sin and all those at the Myanmar Embassy for their tireless devotion to further nurturing the thriving friendship between our two countries.

I would now like to propose a toast – “To the lasting ties of friendship between Myanmar and Korea.”

*Raise Glass*

“Cheers!”