President Ro Jae-hun reflected on "After bitterness comes sweetness" at Peking University Seminar

EACC
Apr 28
2 min read

Group photo of Ro Jae-hun, president of East Asia Culture Center (first from left),Lee Byeong-gi, former Chief of Staff to the President (second from left), members of South Korean delegation, and Chinese representatives / Photo: East Asia Culture Center

President Ro Jae-hun of East Asia Culture Center, alongside former Chief of Staff to the President Lee Byeong-gi and a delegation from the Korea International Cultural Exchange Foundation, visited China from the 21st to the 25th. The delegation met with Chinese public diplomacy officials and private think tank representatives, including the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Guoguan Think Tank (a private think tank), and the Chahar Institute. President Ro also participated in a seminar titled “The Current State and Future of South Korea-China Relations” held at Peking University.

Seminar on “The Current State and Future of South Korea-China Relations” held at Peking University / Photo: East Asia Culture Center

Participants at the Peking University seminar: President Ro Jae-hun of the East Asia Culture Center; former Chief of Staff to the President Lee Byeong-gi; former Minister of Unification Hong Yong-pyo; President Song Ki-chul of the Korea International Cultural Exchange Foundation; Chairman Ko Myeong-jin of the Korea Youth Organizations Council; Professor Lim Yun-mook of Yonsei University; Vice President Fang Fang of Peking University; Professor Wang Dan of Peking University; and former Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming / Photo: East Asia Culture Center

During his keynote speech at the seminar, President Ro drew attention by likening the future of South Korea-China relations to the Chinese proverb 苦盡甘來 (Gǔjìn Gānlái, “After bitterness comes sweetness”), which is also the Chinese title of the Korean drama "When Life Gives You Tangerines(폭싹 속았수다)". He emphasized, “In 1992, President Roh Tae-woo and Chairman Yang Shangkun agreed during their summit that fostering mutual friendly and cooperative relations would hold significant meaning not only for both nations but also for peace and development in Asia and the world. This vision remains valid today.”

President Ro added, “When South Korea and China strengthen strategic communication and work to restore trust based on mutual respect and reciprocity, we can create a new era of cooperation. It is time to expand the horizons of collaboration beyond security and economic issues and pursue shared goals of peace, prosperity, and development.”

Visit to the Guoguan Think Tank (a private think tank) / Photo: East Asia Culture Center