On October 4, H. E. Mr. Lee Ho-shik, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Korea in Bulgaria, and his wife gave a reception on the occasion of the national holiday of the country in Grand Hotel Millennium Sofia.

The National Foundation Day, October 3, is a source of pride for Koreans because on that day, 4,355 years ago, the ancestor of all Koreans, Tangun, established the first Korean state, Ancient Gojoseon. The reception was attended by a large number of guests - ministers and other officials, ambassadors, MPs, politicians, representatives of the media and cultural and educational institutions, Koreans living in Bulgaria.

In his welcoming speech H. E. Mr. Lee Ho-shik emphasized the importance of the holiday and the fact that "In the past 70 years, Korea has gone through a terrible division of the nation, a cruel war and absolute poverty, but managed to achieve economic development and political democratization. Now the Republic of Korea is ready to share its experience with other countries for the sake of the humane idea of world peace and prosperity."

He said that since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Bulgaria and the Republic of Korea in 1990, our countries have developed friendly relations in many areas, but he hopes they will deepen in all spheres. "I will do everything in my power to turn our two countries into close friends. Let's take a journey together "I love Korea! I love Bulgaria!"

Later in his speech, His Excellency shared the goal of Korea to host the 2030 World Expo in Busan.

The guests had the opportunity to see a short video about this city, the second largest in Korea - the capital of culture, but also the capital of green energy and green industry.

Then they enjoyed a k-pop dance performance of the Toxic boys. They also tasted specialties provided by three Korean restaurants in Sofia, while involved in lively conversations. At the end the guests received special gifts - Korean cosmetics and brochures with information about Busan and Korea.

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