State Visit of the President of the Republic of Korea

Day One

The President of the Republic of Korea and Mrs Kim Keon Hee were welcomed on Horse Guards Parade in London on the first day of their State Visit to the UK.

The Prince and Princess of Wales greeted President Yoon Suk Yeol and the First Lady at their hotel, before travelling to Horse Guards. 

The President and the First Lady were formally welcomed by The King and Queen at the Royal Pavilion on Horse Guards. During the ceremony, both national anthems were played.  

The President, accompanied by The King, then inspected the Guard of Honour, found by F Company Scots Guards.

Afterwards, The President and the First Lady joined The King and Queen, and The Prince and Princess of Wales in a carriage procession along The Mall to Buckingham Palace, where they will be met by a second Guard of Honour found by 1st Battalion Welsh Guards. 

Following a private lunch at Buckingham Palace, given by The King, His Majesty invited The President and the First Lady to view a special exhibition in the Picture Gallery of items from the Royal Collection relating to the Republic of Korea.

After lunch, The President and the First Lady, with His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester, took part in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Korean War Memorial, to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of the war. 

In the evening The King, accompanied by The Queen and Members of the Royal Family gave a State Banquet at Buckingham Palace for The President and the First Lady. 

As our nations strive towards a harmony between progress and preservation, between the past and the present, we can look to the future with great confidence as our peoples forge ever closer links.

In his State Banquet speech, The King spoke of the affection and shared values of the UK and the Republic of Korea. 

Day Two

His Majesty The King presented Honorary MBEs to K-Pop Band BLACKPINK for their environmental advocacy work. 

Meanwhile, at the Royal Society, The Duchess of Edinburgh accompanied The President for a roundtable discussion on how we can collectively strengthen the role of basic science to advance humanity. His Excellency made a speech at the event, and was joined by by notable UK and Korean scientific minds, and viewed highlights from the Royal Society’s archives alongside Her Royal Highness.

In the evening, The President and the First Lady joined The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester at a Banquet at the Guildhall given by the Lord Mayor and City of London Corporation.

Day Three

In the morning, The President will visit the Churchill War Rooms.

The President and the First Lady will then return to Buckingham Palace to formally bid farewell to The King at the end of the State Visit.

The Lord Chamberlain will bid farewell to The President and the First Lady on behalf of The King, before they depart from Stansted Airport.