UK, South Korea ‘allies rooted in shared values’: envoy

Colin Crooks, the British ambassador to South Korea, told the ruling People Power Party leader Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon on Wednesday that South Korea is a country that shares the same values as the UK.

“It is a country that supports Ukraine in particular, and also one that is faced with the North Korea challenge. We are countries that stand together in partnerships for peace,” the ambassador said, speaking in Korean.

The ambassador said that watching the Ssangyong exercise between the South Korea and US navies that concluded Monday, in which some UK marines also took part, was “a meaningful moment.”

He said it was a “moment that symbolizes political relations in the future.”

Crooks added that this year was an “incredibly meaningful year” for the two countries.

“This year marks 140 years of South Korea-UK relations, which I hope will be an opportunity not only to commemorate history but also to deepen our future partnerships, possibly in energy security,” he said.

Kim said that as the UK aims to increase the share of nuclear energy, he hopes South Korean companies could “take part in advancing that goal.”

He mentioned that the UK was the second-largest provider of military aid during the Korean War, adding, “I am grateful to the UK for being a reliable ally to South Korea, and for being committed to protect liberal democratic values, peace and human rights.”