On the morning of June 23, South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok visited Tsinghua University. Qiu Yong, secretary of the CPC Tsinghua University Committee, met with Kim Min-seok at the Main Building. The meeting was also attended by Park Yoon-joo, first vice minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea; Roh Jae-heon, ambassador of the Republic of Korea to China; and Dai Bing, ambassador of China to the Republic of Korea.

The meeting in progress

Qiu Yong, on behalf of the University, extended a warm welcome to Prime Minister Kim Min-seok on his return to his alma mater. He noted that President Xi Jinping has pointed out that China and the Republic of Korea are neighbors that cannot be moved apart and are inseparable cooperation partners. During this visit, he said, we have truly felt the Prime Minister’s deep affection for his alma mater. Qiu stated that a world-class university should not only pursue excellence in innovation but also cultivate humanistic depth. In recent years, Tsinghua has steadily advanced high-level opening-up, with its social influence and global reputation on the rise. Standing at a new starting point on its 115th anniversary, the University is ready to strengthen cooperation with Korean partners in education, science and technology, and people-to-people exchanges, contributing more to the steady and sustained development of the China-ROK strategic cooperative partnership.

Kim Min-seok recalled his days studying at Tsinghua and noted that the University is a world-renowned top-tier institution, with particularly impressive achievements in scientific and technological innovation. He said that the two heads of state met twice and exchanged visits in November last year and January this year, charting a blueprint and setting the direction for the development of ROK-China relations. The government of the Republic of Korea attaches great importance to educational and technological cooperation with China. He expressed the hope that Tsinghua University will leverage its strengths to further strengthen exchanges with South Korean universities, and that young people from both countries will continue to deepen their engagement in history, politics, culture, and other fields, thereby enhancing mutual understanding and trust.

“I believe my connection with Tsinghua will continue to take root and grow,” Kim said, “and will contribute to the steady advancement of bilateral relations and yield even more fruitful outcomes.”

Group photo of the two sides

Following the meeting, Kim Min-seok visited the School of Law.

Editors: Li Han, John Paul Grima