Yoon dines with Polish President and First Lady

President Yoon and First Lady hosted a state dinner for Polish President Andrzej Duda and First Lady Agata Kornhauser-Duda, who are on a state visit to South Korea, at the Blue House on Thursday evening October 24. Yoon said South Korea and Poland have developed mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields based on our commonality in overcoming historical wounds and achieving economic growth and democratization in a short period of time. He said that Chopin's music has been reborn through South Korean pianist Cho Sung-jin, and that in Poland, a large number of K-pop fans enjoy Korean music. He said South Korea and Poland understand the importance of national security, so South Korean weapons will protect Poland's land and skies, and Polish drones, which the two countries signed an agreement to purchase earlier this month, will protect South Korea's territory. He emphasized that South Korea will further strengthen strategic cooperation with Poland, which shares the values of freedom, human rights, and the rule of law, and that President Duda's visit is the first step toward a hopeful and mature 35 years ahead.

Duda said that for Polish, South Korea symbolizes development and was known as the Tiger of the East, which has now become a symbol of security due to the importation of South Korean-made weapons. He said Polish soldiers are satisfied with their Korean-made weapons and that defense cooperation with South Korea has given Poland hope that it can export weapons to third countries. He said he strongly hopes that Koreans and Polish will develop closer ties as the two countries celebrate the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations in a little over a week. Meanwhile, the two first ladies visited Gyeongbokgung Palace, where they had a chance to see and feel the excellence of Korea's cultural heritage.

Yoon attends Police Day ceremony

Yoon attended the Police Day ceremony held October 21. He honored the police heroes who died in the service of the nation and its people, including the late Sergeant Na Sung-joo, the late Sergeant Jang Jin-hee, the late Lieutenant Shim Jae-ho, and the late Chief Lee Jae-hyun, by presenting them with police hero plaques and paying tribute to their bereaved families. He also personally awarded awards to five people, including Lee Young-gil (Nokjo Medal of Honor) and Choi Sung-woo (Medal of Honor), for their contributions to national social development. He thanked all police officers across the country for their commitment to protecting the lives and safety of the public, and the families who support them along the way. He noted that the Korean police force's policing capabilities are recognized internationally and praised them for repatriating the largest number of fugitive felons in history in the face of rising digital crime, and encouraged them to continue to lead the way in policing.

He said that we are now facing new threats that have never existed before, and that ideologically motivated crimes, malicious fraud, drugs and cyber gambling, which threaten an unspecified number of people, threaten the future of Korea. New crimes and fake news that exploit advanced technologies such as AI and deep fakes are also on the rise, he said, calling for the police to evolve faster and become more proactive to combat new threats. He said that crimes that cause suffering to the common people will be pursued to the end and severely punished, and that all criminal proceeds and sources of funding will be recovered to cut off the criminal ecosystem at the root. He emphasized that crimes against the vulnerable, such as stalking, domestic violence, and child abuse, should be vigorously enforced from the outset to break their will to commit crimes.