As President Yoon Suk Yeol’s state visit to three Central Asian countries begins, Turkmenistan, his first stop, is attracting attention with its warm welcome and lavish courtesies.
Not only did the Turkmen government show the highest courtesy by having a cavalry escort Yoon’s vehicle, but the local citizens also demonstrated their sincerity by cleaning the streets and even scrubbing white lane lines in anticipation of Yoon’s state visit.
In line with Yoon’s arrival, local state television extensively broadcasted Korean cultural content.
On the afternoon of the 10th (local time), Yoon landed at Ashgabat International Airport in the capital of Turkmenistan and headed straight to the presidential palace.
In the following official welcome ceremony, Turkmenistan’s President Serdar Berdimuhamedow welcomed Yoon with the highest level of courtesy befitting a state guest. The cavalry escorted Yoon’s vehicle as it entered the presidential palace, and the two leaders inspected the guard of honor. During the subsequent summit, Yoon stated, “Korea regards its relationship with Turkmenistan, a key partner country in Central Asia, as very special,” to which Berdimuhamedow responded, “It is always a pleasure and anticipation to meet with Korea, our long-time friend.”
Yoon and his wife, Kim Keon Hee, attended a state banquet hosted by the Turkmenistan president and the first lady, further strengthening their friendly ties. According to the presidential office, the First Lady of Turkmenistan made an exceptional participation in this state banquet, which demonstrated the special attention the Turkmenistan government paid to Yoon’s state visit.
First Deputy Director of the National Security Office Kim Tae Hyo explained at a local press center briefing, “The First Lady of Turkmenistan rarely attends official events. Even her brief appearance on TV at a year-end family event last year caused quite a stir. The fact that the President and the First Lady of Turkmenistan attended this state banquet together shows the special significance of this visit.”
The banquet included a Korean menu to welcome the guests from Korea, and four versions of veal dishes considered a special treat for honored guests in Turkmenistan, were served as the main course.
During the banquet, a total of 23 songs were performed, including Korean pop songs like Kim Soo Chul’s “Young You,” SunFlower’s “Person Who Gives Happiness,” Noh Sa Yeon’s “Meeting,” and Korean folk songs like “Arirang” and “Doraji”.
In addition to the Turkmen government’s hospitality, the warm welcome of the local citizens was also reported to be substantial.
A high-ranking official from the presidential office told the reporters, “There wasn’t a single piece of garbage in the streets, and I heard that all the citizens came out and cleaned the streets because a state guest was coming. They are welcoming the guests with such sincerity that they even wiped down the white lane lines with rags.”
In line with Yoon’s arrival, the local state television created a highly welcoming atmosphere by broadcasting Korean cultural content.
From that day, the local state television has launched a 24-hour Korean Culture Day special, broadcasting Arirang TV‘s Korea promotional videos for 8 times in total.
In addition, they are promoting content produced by Arirang TV such as K-Culture Going Global, Dynamic Economy, The Power of the Republic of Korea, and True Friendship, Hopeful Future, Republic of Korea Diplomacy through the state-run broadcaster’s social media.
