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Members of the royal family rolled out the red carpet today with a ceremonial welcome and state banquet for the South Korean President. And King Charles took the opportunity to share his knowledge of Korean culture during a speech where he referenced everything from K-pop band BTS to cult Netflix show Squid Game.
“It is probably artistic creativity which has brought about the most dramatic shift in Korea’s place in the British cultural landscape,” the King said. “Korea has matched Danny Boyle with Bong Joon-ho, James Bond with Squid Game, and the Beatles’ Let It Be with BTS’s Dynamite.”
While speaking about environmental commitments, Charles also mentioned South Korean girl group Blackpink, who attended the banquet. “It is especially inspiring to see Korea’s younger generation embrace the cause. I applaud Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa and Rosé, better known collectively as Blackpink, for their role in bringing the message of environmental sustainability to a global audience as Ambassadors for the U.K.’s Presidency of COP 26, and later as advocates for the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals,” the King said. “I can only admire how they can prioritise these vital issues, as well as being global superstars.” But Charles joked about his 1992 visit to South Korea, “Sadly, when I was in Seoul all those years ago, I am not sure I developed much of what might be called the Gangnam Style!”
The King also briefly referenced his late mother Queen Elizabeth’s connection with the country, saying, “Alongside striking pieces of modern architecture, and the innovative partnerships between British and Korean cities to make urban environments more liveable, it gives me great encouragement to know that older pieces of traditional Korean design and architecture have been saved from redevelopment before it is too late. And it would have pleased Her late Majesty the Queen I know, who was struck on Her State Visit to Korea in 1999 not just by the incredibly warm welcome she received across your country, but also by the beauty and harmony of the traditional villages and temples of Andong, amongst your country’s majestic mountains.”
More than 160 guests from the U.K and South Korea gathered in the Buckingham Palace ballroom for the banquet. The King and Queen sat at the top table alongside the South Korean President and First Lady, and Prince William and Kate. For the first time at a banquet, glasses on the table featured the cyphers of King Charles instead of Queen Elizabeth. The glassware is being gradually changed rather than replaced—so today, only the top table had the new glasses.
