By UN Journal Lee Jon-young

National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik met with Ambassador Peter van der Vliet of the Netherlands at the Woo’s office on Aug. 1.

The two countries have been strategic partners since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1961, developing bilateral ties based on common values such as freedom, democracy, and human rights.

"I congratulate the new government of the Netherlands on its recent inauguration and look forward to continuing our strategic partnership with the new government," Woo said, welcoming Ambassador van der Vliet. 

"The Netherlands ranked as the top investor in Korea among EU member states last year, and we look forward to further economic cooperation between the two countries. We hope that more companies from both countries will enter the other country and contribute to economic growth and job creation," said Woo.

Specifically, he asked for the Dutch side's interest and support in the semiconductor industry value chain, which has strengths in manufacturing and equipment production, respectively, and cooperation in the second High-Level Meeting on the Responsible Military Use of Artificial Intelligence, which will be co-hosted in Seoul next month.

Referring to Ambassador van der Vliet's dual role as ambassador to North Korea, he said, "I hope you will work for peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula," given the recent instability in inter-Korean relations and the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

"Our two countries have significant similarities in the development of democracy, economics, and high technology," Amb. van der Vliet replied, "and we look forward to continuing to develop our cooperation on economic and supply chain security, energy issues such as wind and hydrogen, and more." 

Noting South Korea's recent win for a nuclear power plant in the Czech Republic, Ambassador van der Vliet said, "I look forward to further cooperation between the two countries in the construction of new nuclear power plants in the Netherlands."