Foreign envoys in Korea deliver New Year's greetings

Clockwise from top left, French Ambassador Philippe Bertoux, Philippine Ambassador Theresa Dizon-de Vega, Kazakh Ambassador Nurgali A. Arystanov, European Union Ambassador Maria Castillo Fernandez, German Ambassador Georg Schmidt, Canadian Ambassador Tamara Mawhinney, Thai Ambassador Tanee Sangrat, Malaysian Ambassador Mohd Zamruni Khalid, Saudi Arabian Ambassador Sami Alsadhan and Brazilian Ambassador Marcia Donner Abreu. Courtesy of respective embassies in Seoul

European Union Ambassador Maria Castillo Fernandez

Happy New Year, and many blessings to you in this new year. It’s already been 25 years since I began my diplomatic career in EU political relations and economic cooperation with Korea. During my first post in 2005, I worked to establish three key agreements, namely the Political Framework Agreement, the Free Trade Agreement and the Framework Participation Agreement.

This year, the EU is excited to welcome Korea as the official associate country to our 100 billion euro research program Horizon Europe. Personally, Korea became my third home, and I am pleased to end my last post in Seoul, which makes a full circle to my diplomatic career.

German Ambassador Georg Schmidt

I would like to extend my best wishes to all readers for the year 2025. Germany and Korea will remain strong partners and friends in the new year at all levels — through our intense cooperation in politics, business, science, culture, etc. — and above all, through many personal ties between the citizens of our countries. Happy New Year!

Saudi Arabian Ambassador Sami Alsadhan

The beginning of a new year offers an opportunity to reflect on the milestones of the past and to look ahead with optimism and determination. As we step into 2025, the Embassy remains committed to further strengthening our bonds of friendship and cooperation. We look forward to a year filled with continued success, peace and opportunities for all.

French Ambassador Philippe Bertoux

I would like to wish the Korean people, my fellow compatriots and the foreign community in Korea a happy 2025 and wonderful celebrations with your loved ones!

I am confident that France and Korea will kick off 2025 in the best possible way with a view to preparing the celebrations of the 140th anniversary of the establishment of our diplomatic relations in 2026.

Canadian Ambassador Tamara Mawhinney

As we welcome 2025, I extend my warmest greetings to the people of Korea and wish all of you peace, health and prosperity in the new year. The past year has been a testament to the enduring strength of the Canada-Korea strategic partnership, rooted in deep and robust people-to-people ties, shared values and common interests. As we look ahead to the new year, I am confident we will achieve even greater success as we expand our cooperation in the areas of values, security, prosperity, sustainability and beyond.

Thai Ambassador Tanee Sangrat

On behalf of the Royal Thai Embassy and Team Thailand in Seoul, I would like to send my warmest wishes to the people of Korea and the Thai community here. This season of renewal is an opportune moment to reflect on the deep friendship and ever-growing strategic partnership between our two nations.

Philippine Ambassador Theresa Dizon-de Vega

Mabuhay! As we welcome the new year, I extend my warmest greetings to the readers of The Korea Times. The past year has been a testament to the enduring friendship and shared aspirations of the Philippines and Korea. Together, we worked closely to deepen our ties across political, security, defense, trade, cultural, tourism, education and people-to-people exchanges while celebrating the 75th anniversary of our diplomatic relations.

Kazakh Ambassador Nurgali A. Arystanov

As we welcome the new year 2025, I extend my heartfelt congratulations and warmest wishes to all the readers. The past year was marked by remarkable milestones in the enhanced strategic partnership between Kazakhstan and Korea, underscoring our shared commitment to deepening ties across various sectors.

Brazilian Ambassador Marcia Donner Abreu

On the occasion of the new year, I extend to all Koreans my heartfelt best wishes for the future and also my thanks for all the support extended to the relations between Brazil and Korea, which just celebrated its 65th anniversary. May 2025 see a world with more peace, social justice, sustainability and solidarity among all men and women on Earth.

Malaysian Ambassador Mohd Zamruni Khalid

As we celebrate this joyous season, I wish to extend my warmest season’s greetings to each and every one of you. This year has truly been remarkable for both Malaysia and Korea, especially with the recent elevation of our bilateral relations to a strategic partnership. The visit of our Prime Minister Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim to Korea in November was a pivotal moment for us, as we reaffirmed our commitment to deepening cooperation across various sectors, including defense, trade and cultural exchanges.