South Korea thanks Netherlands, King for war help

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima were received with applause by the parliament of South Korea.

In his speech, the parliamentary chairman thanked the Dutch people for the contribution and participation in the Korean War in the 50's. He also talked about the history of the first contact between the Netherlands and Korea. In the 17th century Hendrik Hamel from Gorinchem was shipwrecked at the kingdom and was allowed an audience with the King of Korea.

On the second last day of their state visit, the royal couple also visited the restored palace complex Gyeongbokgung. The complex of wooden palaces dates back to the 14th century.

Earlier that day at a seminar in Seoul, King Willem-Alexander made a case for more cooperation between the Netherlands and South Korea, especially when it comes to intelligence and creativity. "Korea is a leader in intelligent mobility. Netherlands is a world leader in agriculture and horticulture. Korea has a great record as a high-tech country. Netherlands excels in water management. So we can help each other forward", the King said.

A delegation of TU Delft, in the presence of King Willem-Alexander, signed cooperation with a number of Korean companies. The Koreans will help build a test reactor worth some 20 million euro.