The King has hailed K-pop stars Blackpink for their environmental credentials and BTS for "matching the Beatles" with their hit song Dynamite, as Their Majesties hosted a banquet in honour of South Korea's visiting President Yoon Suk Yeol. King Charles III received a round of applause as he spoke Korean in his opening remarks before highlighting South Korea's creativity and culture, from Gangnam Style, the global hit by Korean rapper Psy, to the popular Netflix series Squid Game. Report by Brooksl. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
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00:00 Mr. President, Madam Kim Kyeong-hee,
00:05 it gives my wife and myself great pleasure to welcome you
00:09 to Buckingham Palace this evening.
00:12 (speaking in Korean)
00:18 (applause)
00:27 As we mark the 140th anniversary of our two nations' diplomatic
00:33 relationship, your visit to the United Kingdom celebrates our
00:38 remarkable partnership.
00:40 It is a partnership in which close personal connections
00:45 fostered over many decades have blossomed today into a real
00:50 sense of affection, or cheong, between our societies at so many levels.
00:57 We also wonder at the remarkable journey your nation has taken in
01:03 the span of a single lifetime -- my lifetime, in fact.
01:09 Korea has matched Danny Boyle with Bong Joon-ho,
01:15 James Bond with Squid Game, and the Beatles let it be with
01:20 BTS's Dynamic, or Dynamite.
01:25 Our cultures share a remarkable ability to captivate
01:31 imaginations across the world.
01:34 It is especially inspiring to see Korea's younger generation
01:40 embrace the cause.
01:42 I applaud Jenny, Ji-Soo, Lisa, and Rose -- better known
01:49 collectively as Blackpink -- for their role in bringing the
01:53 message of environmental sustainability to a global
01:57 audience as ambassadors for the UK's presidency of COP26,
02:03 and later as advocates for the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
02:10 I can only admire how they can prioritize these vital issues,
02:14 as well as being global superstars.
02:19 Sadly, when I was in Seoul all those years ago,
02:22 I'm not sure I developed much of what might be called a
02:27 "Gangnam style."
02:29 (laughter)
02:34 All those who fought for the survival of your fledgling
02:37 republic are in admiration of what your country has become.
02:44 Through their own sweat and toil,
02:47 but under the shadow of tyranny and the ever-present threat of
02:52 aggression, over seven decades Koreans have built a bastion of
02:58 democracy, human rights, and freedom.
03:03 In a world where these values are challenged sadly,
03:06 as rarely before in our lifetimes,
03:09 the Republic of Korea and the United Kingdom stand shoulder
03:14 to shoulder in defense of all that we hold dear.
03:20 And so, Mr. President, Madam Kim,
03:23 it is with great pride and pleasure that I propose a toast
03:29 to the next 140 years of Korean-British relations.
03:36 Wee-hi-yo!
03:37 (laughter)