The King and Queen rubbed shoulders with K-pop royalty as they staged a banquet in honour of South Korea’s visiting President Yoon Suk Yeol.
Charles praised the environmental credentials of girl group Blackpink and highlighted South Korea’s creativity and culture, from Gangnam Style, celebrated in the global hit by Korean rapper Psy, to the popular Netflix series Squid Game.
In his banquet speech, the King said “Koreans have created a miracle” in their journey from “wartime devastation” to a thriving country where the “industrial efficiency” he witnessed during a visit in 1992 had become the “epitome” of technological innovation.
He added: “Through their own sweat and toil, and under the shadow of tyranny and the ever present threat of aggression, over seven decades Koreans have built a bastion of democracy, human rights and freedom.
“In a world where these values are challenged, sadly, as rarely before in our lifetimes, the Republic of Korea and the United Kingdom stand shoulder to shoulder in defence of all that we hold dear.”
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