Yoon extends gratitude to Guus Hiddink at state dinner

President Yoon Suk Yeol and Dutch King Willem-Alexander make a toast during a state dinner at the Royal Palace in Amsterdam, Tuesday (local time). Yonhap

President Yoon Suk Yeol attended a state dinner at the Dutch Royal Palace in Amsterdam, Tuesday (local time), during which he expressed gratitude to Guus Hiddink, the Dutch football manager who led Korea to the semifinals of the 2002 World Cup.

Yoon attended the banquet hosted by Dutch King Willem-Alexander during his state visit to the Netherlands, with a focus on expanding cooperation between the two nations.

Hiddink, who was also present at the event, stood up as Yoon highlighted his successful management of the Taegeuk Warriors at the World Cup, co-hosted by Korea and Japan.

“It was the Dutch league that marked both the beginning and end of the European career of Park Ji-sung, who played a crucial role in the entrance of Korean football players in Europe,” Yoon said.

Guus Hiddink, left, a former Korea national football team manager, attends a state dinner at the Royal Palace in Amsterdam, Tuesday (local time). Yonhap

During the banquet, special ties, solidarity and friendship between the two nations were underscored.

Yoon emphasized that Korea and the Netherlands would make excellent partners in driving a global freedom alliance.

He also thanked the Netherlands for swiftly dispatching 5322 troops during the Korean War, 120 of whom lost their lives, and stated that based on the friendship forged during the war, the two countries have developed strong and manifold cooperation.

In response, King Alexander highlighted the influence of Korea, stating that it is no longer an unfamiliar country in the Netherlands, emphasizing the friendship and cooperation between the two nations.

“Dutch people now enjoy K-pop on the radio, K-movies in theaters, and K-dramas on Netflix. Korean foods are easily accessible in supermarkets, people drive Kia cars, subscribe to K-creators on YouTube and many rate K-beauty as the best,” he said.

He also added that the two nations will collaborate in various fields, including agriculture, architecture, safety, continuous energy and addressing climate change.

Approximately 210 attendees took part in the state dinner, including Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Dutch Senate President Jan Anthonie Bruijn, Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin and Korean Science and ICT Minister Lee Jong-ho.