President Starts Three-Day State Visit to United Kingdom


By Ryu Jin
Korea Times Correspondent


A carriage carrying President Roh Moo-hyun, right, and Queen Elizabeth II heads for Buckingham Palace after an official welcoming ceremony in Horse Guards Parade in London, Wednesday. / Yonhap


LONDON - President Roh Moo-hyun’s state visit to the U.K. was highlighted with a welcoming ceremony by Queen Elizabeth II with the Horse Guards and a luncheon that followed, hosted by the queen, at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday.

After a 10-minute ceremony that started with a gun salute in Horse Guards Parade by the King’s Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, Roh was guided into the majestic palace with the queen in a procession of open carriages.

First lady Kwon Yang-suk entered the palace with the queen’s husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, while others of the official entourage, including Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Ban Ki-moon, followed in the spectacular cavalcade.

``Your Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Your Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh and distinguished guests,’’ Roh said, ``I am thankful for the warm welcome extended to my delegation and me. It is a profound pleasure for me to be the first head of state of the Republic of Korea to make a state visit to the United Kingdom.’’

During the two-hour meal, the queen recalled happy memories of South Korea, where she made a state visit with Prince Philip in April 1999, according to officials.

Roh asked the queen to visit Seoul again in the near future, expressing gratitude for the warm hospitality of the royal family.

The queen conferred on Roh the Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB), the most honorable order that can be given to a foreign head of state. She will also host a dinner for Roh and his suite at the palace Wednesday.

In the meantime, Roh will meet with British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Thursday to discuss ways for reaching a peaceful resolution to the North Korean nuclear crisis.

The two leaders will share information and opinions on recent developments in the international dispute, negotiations on which have been stalled for months with the North refusing to attend the six-party talks, officials said.

Blair, who visited Seoul for a summit with Roh last year, has paid special attention to North Korea, saying last week it is an ``extremely important’’ issue and hoped to discuss it with Roh.

During the summit meeting, the two leaders will also discuss ways to boost cooperation in the economy, science and technology, as well as work together to fight global terrorism, the officials said.

Having some 3,600 rehabilitation forces in northern Iraq, South Korea is the second-largest contributor of troops to the U.S.-led coalition after Britain.

South Korea and Britain have long maintained cooperation in the fields of economy, science and culture and Roh’s visit will further strengthen ties, officials said.

Before leaving for Poland on Friday, Roh will hold a roundtable meeting with chief executive officers of about a dozen British companies to encourage them to invest in South Korea.

jinryu@koreatimes.co.kr