President Lee Jae Myung of South Korea (left) shakes palms with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi upon concluding their joint press assertion on the presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt, on Nov. 20, 2025. (Yonhap)
“In Korea, there’s a phrase that claims individuals who have endured the identical struggling perceive one another. The residents of South Korea have endured the hardships of warfare and the sorrow of being separated from their households. Our deepest sympathies lie with the tears of these threatened by battle.”
On Thursday, President Lee Jae Myung’s voice echoed by the grand auditorium of Cairo College in Egypt, the place over 3,000 attendees crammed the viewers. Although this was Lee’s first go to to Egypt since taking workplace, the South Korean president delivered an exceptionally heartfelt speech that rigorously illuminated the fashionable histories of each the Korean Peninsula and Egypt.
“Although Egypt and Korea are over 8,000 kilometers aside, it’s no exaggeration to say that our two international locations are linked by a protracted historical past of craving for peace,” Lee acknowledged.
Lee emphasised that the 2 nations shared experiences of gaining independence from colonial rule, mentioning Korea’s 1919 March 1st Independence Motion towards Japan and the Egyptian revolution towards British imperialism, which occurred the identical yr.
“Although hundreds of kilometers aside, the residents of Korea and Egypt had been linked by the spirit of self-determination, freedom and equality,” he stated.
Lee additionally lauded Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, with whom he held a summit that day, for his persistent efforts to proceed “dialogue throughout two years of the Gaza battle.”
“President El-Sisi [has] persistently keep[ed] the thread of mediation,” Lee famous, including that such efforts “resulted within the historic second of ceasefire on the Gaza strip.”
He famous that former Korean presidents akin to Kim Dae-jung have additionally pioneered new pathways to peace on the Korean Peninsula. “Our authorities additionally goals to finish the period of hostility and confrontation between the 2 Koreas and open a brand new period of peaceable coexistence and shared progress,” he pressured.
Lee stated that El-Sisi expressed “agency help” for his peace initiative throughout their summit earlier within the day.
On this keynote speech, Lee additionally offered the “SHINE” initiative, describing it as “a imaginative and prescient for Egypt, the broader Center East, and the Republic of Korea to pursue collectively.” SHINE, which stands for stability, concord, innovation, community and schooling, proposes opening a way forward for mutual prosperity between the Center East and the Korean Peninsula throughout three domains: peace, prosperity and tradition.
As the primary sensible step towards this aim, Lee pledged US$10 million in support to the Egyptian Purple Crescent, “to suggest [Korea’s] dedication to overcoming the Gaza disaster collectively.”
The Purple Crescent is the Islamic counterpart to the Purple Cross, which handles reduction efforts in battle zones. This pledge is interpreted as an expression of the Lee administration’s intention to make a tangible contribution to Center East peace, whereas urging Egypt to actively help peace on the Korean Peninsula.
President Lee Jae Myung of South Korea waves to college students finding out at Cairo College within the Egyptian capital after delivering a speech there on Nov. 20, 2025. (Yonhap)
Lee additionally famous that South Korea’s financial rise wouldn’t have been potential with out the Center East’s help. Had South Korea not imported vitality sources akin to crude oil and pure gasoline, or performed large-scale development tasks within the Center East, it “wouldn’t exist in the present day because the world’s tenth largest financial system,” Lee emphasised.
“It’s now our flip to contribute to the ‘Miracle of the Nile,’” the president stated, outlining a imaginative and prescient to develop cooperation to cowl new areas, akin to synthetic intelligence and hydrogen applied sciences, whereas cementing collaboration in conventional sectors, together with development and vitality.
Following up on a memorandum of understanding on schooling and tradition that the 2 presidents had signed earlier that day, Lee additionally pledged to “develop exchanges between universities in each international locations,” together with Cairo College. Lee stated he would bolster institutional help by increasing scholarship applications for grasp’s diploma college students finding out data and communication expertise, and add coaching applications to allow extra Egyptian college students to check in Korea.
Addressing the younger individuals who had crammed the auditorium corridor, Lee acknowledged, “You’re the protagonists of the long run who will hyperlink the Miracle on the Han River and the Miracle on the Nile to leap ahead collectively into the world stage.”
“I hope our assembly in the present day would be the place to begin that illuminates your sensible future and the start of a good brighter and extra splendid journey for Korea, Egypt, and the Center East,” Lee concluded.
By Um Ji-won, employees reporter
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