On October 2, H. E. Mr. Bae Jongin, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Korea to the Republic of Bulgaria, and his wife Mrs. Junghee Lee,

gave a reception at the Grand Hotel Millennium Sofia on the occasion of the national holiday of the country. It is celebrated on 3 October – the Foundation Day of the nation. The event was honored by the Prime Minister of Bulgaria - Acad. Nikolay Denkov, by politicians, ambassadors, representatives of business, culture, media, by Korean citizens living in our country, by friends of Korea.

This is the first reception given by H. E. Mr. Bae Jongin after the presentation of his credentials in our country on 25 July 2023. After listening to the anthems of the two countries, His Excellency told his guests "Welcome" to Korea's celebration of the  Foundation Day of the nation. Then he made a welcoming speech:

We have a national myth that explains the origin of the Korean nation. It begins with a bear and a tiger, both longing to become humans. God made them a promise "If you can endure 100 days in a dark cave, eating only herbs and garlic, you will be transformed into humans".

The tiger, unsurprisingly, couldn't bear the vegetarian lifestyle and abandoned the challenge midway. However, the bear persevered through the hardship and ultimately transformed into a woman. This woman then married the son of the god, and their offspring became the ruler of Korea's first ancient kingdom. The divine instruction was clear: they were to contribute to the betterment of humankind in every possible way. According to this myth, we, the Koreans, are the descendants of a herb/garlic-eating bear-turned-lady.

However, the more profound lesson we can learn from this tale is the significance of perseverance, the very quality that defines our humanity, along with the value of sharing the benefits with all.

I am sure this sounds familiar to Bulgaria.

History shows us that Bulgaria and Korea have weathered numerous challenges, yet both nations have persevered with that kindred spirit, and worked to make unique contribution, for instance, by creating alphabets.

It is my belief that we are natural partners for one another.

Only 33 years have passed since we established our diplomatic relations, but in that time, we've made significant progress and built a strong foundation. We now have dedicated schools and universities, where you can find both Bulgarian-speaking Koreans and Korean-speaking Bulgarians. Every year, we exchange talented students on scholarships, and many of the graduates are already contributing to Bulgaria and Korea, as well as beyond our borders.

I am also proud to witness a vibrant cultural exchange, including events like K-pop cover dance competitions, joint opera productions, concerts blending traditional musical instruments with contemporary elements, a recent Hanbok show, an upcoming Kimchi-making event next month.

And we are proud of Bulgaria’s taekwondo team and the recent achievement as if it were our own.

Despite the interruption caused by COVID-19, we've recently revitalized high-level meetings, including a summit in New York just two weeks ago.

And we anticipate an increase in bilateral trade and investments, particularly in sectors like energy and automotive. Additionally, there's a lot of potential for collaboration in advanced technology areas such as IT and artificial intelligence, as both our nations aspire to become high-tech societies centered on humanity and peace.

We share common challenges, ranging from addressing climate change and navigating the energy transition to dealing with geopolitical turmoil and demographic shifts. As peers, we can exchange wisdom to tackle these issues and translate them into concrete cooperative projects.

In line with these very same aspirations, we've submitted our candidacy for World EXPO 2030 in Busan. This city, once the last stronghold during the Korean War, has since transformed into one of the largest port and holds a special place in my heart as my hometown.

We'll never forget the devastation we endured during the war and the invaluable support we received from the international community. Therefore, it's a cornerstone of our foreign policy to reciprocate that kindness, andto be a responsible global contributor. This will also serve as the driving vision and theme behind our EXPO candidacy.

Allow me to conclude by expressing my deep gratitude to the many guests here today who share a genuine love for both Bulgaria and Korea, nurtured by their mutual affection. Often, this connection began with an initial interest in Taekwondo, the Korean language, or K-Pop and K-drama, but it has since blossomed into a true passion.

I want to extend my sincere thanks for the enthusiasm you've displayed and for gracing us with your presence here today.

We've got some Korean dishes ready just for your taste. And to entertain your eyes, we've got videos and photos show-casing Korea's UNESCO-designated heritage tourist sites. But before we dive into all that visual delight, we've invited Bulgarian musicians to play Korean tunes with Bulgaria’s traditional instrument, kaval, which sounds again too similar to Korea’s old instrument.

We hope you enjoy the evening!

All the guests at the reception were delighted by the wonderful musical greeting - the famous song "Arirang", performed by a Bulgarian singer, accompanied by the Bulgarian national instrument caval. This perofrmance touched  the hearts of all in a unique way. Everyone watched with interest the video footage from Korea projected in the hall, and visited the stand of the Korean aerospace industry. And, of course, they were fascinated by the specialties of the famous Korean cuisine.

The photos were provided by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Republic of Bulgaria.

 Above: Н. E. Mr. Bae Jongin, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Korea to the Republic of Bulgaria, and his wife Mrs. Junghee Lee with the Prime minister of the Republic of Bulgaria Acad. Nikolay Denkov