113.03.06. (國際處053)
立法院韓國瑜院長於本(3月6)日上午在本院林德福委員、周萬來秘書長及國際事務處林晨富處長等人陪同下，接見「駐臺北韓國代表部」李殷鎬代表一行。
President Han, accompanied by Legislator Lin Te-Fu, Secretary-General Chester Chou, and International Affairs Department Director Kevin C.F. Lin, met with Representative Lee Eun-Ho of the Korean Mission in Taipei on the morning of March 6.
院長向訪賓表達熱忱歡迎，並偕林德福委員與李代表合影，媒體離場後進行閉門會談。院長談話時首先提及自己名字中有「韓國」二字，與韓國特別有緣，且在學生時期認識許多韓國朋友，知道他們心中都有一個熱情的小孩，今日有朋自遠方來不亦樂乎，特別歡迎李代表來到立法院。院長續謂，我國為韓國第六大貿易夥伴，韓國為我國第四大貿易夥伴，雙方觀光互訪也快速成長，疫情前（2017-2019年）台韓兩國每年互訪旅客人數都超過100萬人，隨著疫情趨緩雙邊交流升溫，去（2023）年訪台的韓國旅客已達64萬餘人。希望台灣及韓國在各方面諸如經濟、貿易、體育等進一步加強交流，也期待林德福委員作為「中華民國與韓國國會議員友好協會」的會長，能作為雙邊交流的領頭羊，也請李代表協助轉達本院對雙邊國會互動交流的期許。
President Han first warmly welcomed the visitors and took a photo together with Legislator Lin and Representative Lee, followed by a closed-door discussion. President Han mentioned that in Mandarin, his name contains the same characters as those representing the Republic of Korea (hereafter referred to as South Korea), which might indicate his personal bond with South Korea. He recalled getting acquainted with many Korean friends when he was a student, and each of them appeared to be kind-hearted and enthusiastic. While welcoming Representative Lee to the Legislative Yuan, President Han stressed that it is always a pleasure to greet a friend from afar. Taiwan is South Korea's sixth-largest trading partner and South Korea is Taiwan's fourth-largest trading partner, particularly with rapid growing in bilateral tourism. Before the pandemic (2017-2019), the annual number of visitors between Taiwan and South Korea exceeded one million people, and the number of South Korean tourists to Taiwan reached over 640,000 last year. President Han expressed his hope for furthering bilateral exchanges in fields like the economy, trade, and sports. He thus expected Legislator Lin, chairman of the "ROC–South Korea Parliamentary Friendship Association,” to help deepen bilateral ties. In the meantime, he also asked Representative Lee to convey the Legislative Yuan's expectations for more inter-parliamentary interaction to the Korean National Assembly.
李代表感謝院長撥冗接見，並祝賀院長榮膺新職，相信在院長帶領下能看見一個嶄新形象的國會。李代表趣稱韓院長大名因有「韓國」二字，早已耳熟能詳。他續表示，台韓是彼此重要貿易夥伴，雙邊互訪旅客人數也持續增長，更令其感到意外的是近期數據顯示，泰國向來是韓國國民喜愛的旅遊勝地，沒想到韓國飛台灣的航班遠多於泰國，今年一月份航班已超過二千架次，顯示雙邊觀光及商務交流頻繁，相信日後韓國重要人士亦將陸續造訪台灣。
Representative Lee first thanked President Han for taking time out of busy schedule to meet him and extended congratulations to President Han on assuming the new role as President of the Legislative Yuan. He is confident that under President Han's leadership, Taiwan’s new parliament would undergo a smooth transformation. Representative Lee amusingly referred to President Han’s name containing the word 'Korea', which is widely recognized. He continued by stating that Taiwan and Korea are important trade partners for each other, with the number of bilateral visitors steadily increasing. Representative Lee was surprised to find that despite Thailand's popularity as a tourist destination for Koreans, there are significantly more flights from Korea to Taiwan than to Thailand, according to recent statistics. In January of this year, the number of flights exceeded 2,000, highlighting the frequency of tourism and business exchanges between the two countries. He believes that important Korean figures will continue to visit Taiwan in the future.
李代表續稱，最重要的是台韓間《避免所得稅雙重課稅及防杜逃稅協定》於去年12月27日正式生效，特別感謝本院委員投注的心力，因推動新法案往往費時甚久，尤其這幾年在林德福委員居間大力協助下，韓國國會對此案獲跨黨派的一致支持，始順利促成此案，相信將為兩國企業課稅優惠帶來助益，促使雙邊商務交流更為熱絡。另，韓國將於下個月中旬舉行國會議員改選，選後韓國國會議員台灣親善協會亦將重組，渠將努力扮演韓台雙邊友好橋樑的角色。
Representative Lee also emphasized the significance of “the Agreement for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income” between Taiwan and South Korea, which officially came into effect on December 27 last year. He expressed special gratitude to the legislators for their dedication, as passing new legislation often requires considerable time and effort. Particularly, with the invaluable support of Legislator Lin in recent years, the above-mentioned bill received bipartisan support in Korean National Assembly, facilitating its smooth passage. He is convinced this agreement would not only benefit corporate taxation but also enhance bilateral business exchanges. Additionally, with South Korea set to hold parliamentary elections next month, after which the Korean Parliament's Taiwan Friendship Association will be reformed accordingly. He pledged to play the role of a bridge between South Korea and Taiwan.
林德福委員發言表示，渠已規劃於韓國國會改選完成後，台灣親善協會選出新會長後，將與韓方恢復國會議員互訪交流，也期待休會時由院長率團訪韓進行國會外交。林委員並提及永和區中興街被稱為「韓國街」，係渠於擔任永和市長時期所打造，當地住有許多旅台韓僑，經營批發事業有成，盼在李代表任內進一步提升經貿觀光等層面的雙邊交流。院長打趣表示，林委員努力建立了「韓國街」，期望李代表也能在首爾創立「台灣街」，持續深化雙邊友誼。
Legislator Lin stated he is planning to resume exchange of visits by parliamentarians of Taiwan and South Korea as soon as the elections for the Korean Parliament and the new chair of the Korean Taiwan Friendship Association are accomplished. He also invited President Han to lead a delegation to visit South Korea for parliamentary diplomacy during the recess. Legislator Lin highlighted that Zhongxing Street in Yonghe district of New Taipei city, known as "Korea Street," was a project he initiated when he served as the mayor of Yonghe. The district has been long dwelt in by many Korean expatriates in Taiwan, most of who run successful wholesale businesses. He aims to further enhance bilateral exchanges in trade and tourism while Representative Lee is stationed in Taiwan. President Han joyfully remarked that since Legislator Lin worked hard to establish "Korea Street," he also hoped Representative Lee could help establish an equivalent "Taiwan Street" in Seoul to deepening bilateral friendship.
院長續提及，李代表是外交官中少數具有理工背景的人才，首爾大學機械工學系出身，又於美國喬治亞理工學院取得機械工學博士學位，希望具理工背景的李代表發揮理工人紮實、務實、確實的精神，提升台韓雙邊的交流互動。
President Han continued by commending Representative Lee as one of the few diplomats with a science and engineering background. Representative Lee graduated from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Seoul National University and earned his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in the United States. The President expressed his hope that Representative Lee will embody the pragmatic and steadfast spirit of engineers and scientists to enhance bilateral ties between Taiwan and South Korea.
李代表感謝院長美言，並稱過去他也曾參與半導體研究，近期外交關係中尤以技術層面的交流為重，現在包含韓、台、美的三角關係型態的產品持續推出，希望有更多強化三方關係的行業領域加入。除科技面向外，觀光文化也是他積極投入的領域，去年曾拜訪桃園、基隆、台南、高雄等縣市首長，假日也常到台灣各處觀光，去到宜蘭也會特別避開雪山隧道而選擇北宜公路，遊賞北部山區的美麗風景；去年暑假家族旅行開車到花蓮，在台北近郊也曾走訪淡水、白沙灣、陽明山、金山等路線，台灣自然風景之美令人讚嘆，更深刻了解過去西洋稱台灣為「福爾摩沙」之意。李代表繼強調，台灣之美不只是風景，更是台灣人民，無論去哪都能體會台灣人的熱情和濃郁人情味，雖然渠中文不流利，但大家都努力與其溝通交流，渠將更積極向韓國國民推廣台灣的好山好水及人民的好客與熱情，今年將積極安排拜會各政府機關首長，若當地區域立委時間允許，也期待能與其等深化交流。
Representative Lee thanked for the President's kind words and shared his past involvement in semiconductor research. He emphasized that in contemporary diplomatic relations, there has been a growing emphasis on technological exchanges. Products embodying the trilateral partnership between South Korea, Taiwan, and the United States continue to be launched. He hoped that more industries will join in to strengthen the tripartite relationship. In addition to technological sectors, tourism and culture are also the areas where he has been actively engaged in. Last year, he called on the mayors of Taoyuan, Keelung, Tainan, and Kaohsiung, respectively. On weekends, he frequently tours various parts of Taiwan. When visiting Yilan, he specifically avoided taking the Hsuehshan Tunnel and opted for the Beiyi Highway to appreciate the stunning scenery of the northern mountains. Last summer, during a family trip, he drove to Hualien. He has also explored areas near Taipei, including Tamsui, Baisha Bay, Yangmingshan, and Jinshan. The beauty of Taiwan's natural landscapes is breathtaking and deepens the understanding of why the West once called Taiwan "Ihla Formosa." However, Representative Lee emphasized that Taiwan's attractiveness is not just its landscapes but also its people. Wherever he went, he was impressed by the warmth and rich human touch of the Taiwanese people. Despite his limited proficiency in Mandarin, no body hesitated to communicate with him. He would be pleased to introduce more of Taiwan's natural attractions and the hospitality and enthusiasm of its people to South Korean citizens. This year, he plans to call at various government agencies and hopes to deepen exchanges with district legislators if their schedules allow.
院長聞後欣然表示，林德福委員也能提供相關協助，並稱本院各黨團在議事攻防時雖有紛擾，但對外必然是採取超越黨派的一致精神。林德福委員補充稱，「中華民國與韓國國會議員友好協會」副會長也有民進黨委員擔任，樂願能提供跨黨派的協助。院長另請曾派駐韓國釜山辦事處擔任總領事之國際事務處林處長分享於韓國的見聞，林處長表示渠於任內推動釜山市議會及慶州市議會分別成立台灣親善協會，上(2)月慶州市政府市長率團訪台與台南簽訂友誼城市協定，立法院國際事務處成立後也與韓國國會國際事務局進行視訊交流，相信台韓未來將有更多的互動與合作，共創雙贏。
President Han gladly acknowledged Representative Lee’s remarks and underlined the Legislative Yuan's consistent stance on international affairs despite internal debates. Legislator Lin added that a vice-chair of the friendship association from the DPP is also willing to assist across party lines. Director Kevin Lin also shared his experiences of promoting Taiwan-friendly associations in Busan and Gyeongju City Councils respectively while he was posted in Busan. These efforts eventually led to the signing of a friendship city agreement by the mayors of Gyeongju City and Tainan City in February this year. Since the establishment of the International Affairs Department, it has held a video conference with its counterpart in South Korea's parliament. Director Lin was optimistic that Taiwan and South Korea would engage in more interactions and cooperation for mutual benefit in the future.
此次拜會歷約30分鐘，氣氛熱絡友好，韓院長與李代表並互贈紀念品，為今日會晤畫下圓滿的句點。
The 30-minute meeting was followed by exchanging gifts and concluded in a warm and friendly vibe.
