What a great spirit. It’s great to feel the energy here in this great Palladium Theater. It really charges me up.
Good Afternoon everyone! Bardzo mi miło (바르조미 미워)! It’s great to see you here in Poland. This is a country rich in culture and music. The land for lovers of Chopin, the polonaise, the mazurka – and now of K-pop as well!
Like many of you, I'm a great fan of K-pop, such as Psy’s Gangnam Style. As you know, his Gangnam Style and horse dancing has disarmed more than 2 billion people – in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas – from President Obama’s daughters to your friends here in Warsaw. In fact, it was a nice surprise for me to discover that Peru boasts the largest number of K-pop fan clubs.
K-pop is now increasingly becoming a universal language. It binds people from all corners of the world together. It is a unifying force as you can see from tonight’s festival.
Today, we have one more reason to celebrate today’s event. We have with us the participants of the Eurasia Friendship Express. More than two weeks ago, they left Seoul to cross the Eurasian continent. Now, they’ve finally reached Warsaw, Poland. They have carried with them a message of friendship, peace, cooperation and hope, especially for you Polish friends.
Korea is at the eastern end of the Eurasian continent and is called the gateway to the Asia-Pacific. Poland has been called the Eastern Bridge of Europe, and indeed, it is the gateway into Europe. Without Poland, the Eurasian continent could not be connected as one. And I feel that Korea and Poland have many other things to share with each other, in terms of history, geopolitics, national traits like determination and perseverance, and no doubt, love for music.
One thing that we do not share is that unlike Poland, Korea is a divided nation. So, after attending today’s concert, I will be heading tomorrow to Berlin, the final stop of the Friendship Express. Because Korea remains divided even 70 years after the end of the Second World War, the Friendship Express could not cross from South to North Korea. But I have faith that in the not too distant future, another Friendship Express train from Busan will be able to run through North Korea to come directly to Warsaw – and from Warsaw directly to Korea.
So tonight, let us enjoy the very best of K-pop. Your performances will not only bind us closer together, but also serve as a chorus of hope for one Eurasia and one Korea. Now, without further ado, let’s enjoy!
이 누리집은 대한민국 공식 전자정부 누리집입니다.
