The Wind of Peace: From Ireland to Korea

[Ice Breaking]

"Good evening, everyone! Thank you, Ambassador Winthrop, for having me. They say on St. Patrick's Day, everyone is a little bit Irish. Looking at all this green, I feel 100% Irish tonight! It is truly an honor to be here with our 'soul brothers' from Ireland."

[Main Speech]

One of the most moving experiences of my life was watching the Irish cinematic masterpiece, The Wind That Shakes the Barley. This film perfectly captures the heart of Ireland's struggle for freedom.

It shows the tragedy of a family divided by war. Today, we in Korea feel a similar pain. North Korea recently declared us 'hostile states,' trying to cut the ties of our shared history. It feels like the cold wind from that movie is blowing across our peninsula.

However, Ireland gives us hope. You showed the world that division is a tragedy, but conflict does not have to be our destiny.

Through the Good Friday Agreement, you chose dialogue over bullets. You proved that peace is the only way to true prosperity. Today, Ireland is a global leader—a 'Celtic Tiger' that inspires us all.

North Korea's new stance is worrying, but Irish history tells us to keep going. As your great poet Yeats said, peace comes "dropping slow." It takes patience, but we must never stop marching toward it.

Tonight, as Seoul turns green, we celebrate the belief that one day, a wind of peace will also blow across Korea, just as it did for Ireland.

Congratulations on your journey. May Korea and Ireland always walk together.

Sláinte! (Slawn-cha!)

Thank you