East Timor's official state visit marks first by its head of state since 2002

Summit followed by luncheon featuring cuisines of both nations

José Ramos-Horta, president of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste. [Provided by the Office of the President of Timor-Leste]
José Ramos-Horta, president of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste. [Provided by the Office of the President of Timor-Leste]

President Lee Jae Myung held a summit Friday with José Ramos-Horta, president of Timor-Leste, who is in South Korea on an official state visit.

The two leaders met at Cheong Wa Dae and were expected to discuss ways to expand practical cooperation across a range of areas — including diplomacy and security, intellectual property, climate change, education and people-to-people exchanges — as well as broader regional and international issues.

Ramos-Horta, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996, arrived in South Korea Thursday at Lee's invitation. The visit marks the first official bilateral state visit by a Timorese head of state since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 2002.

Even before formal ties were established, the two countries shared a special bond rooted in shared values of peace and democracy, including South Korea's deployment of troops and provision of humanitarian support.

The Sangnoksu Unit was deployed to Timor-Leste from 1999 to 2003, carrying out peacekeeping operations, helping stabilize the country and supporting civilian reconstruction efforts.

Following the summit, Cheong Wa Dae prepared a luncheon featuring hansik — Korean cuisine — that also incorporated elements of Timorese food culture. The menu included Ermera coffee, a Timorese variety that Ramos-Horta has actively championed.

Lee also plans to present Ramos-Horta with gifts chosen with the president's personal tastes and health in mind, including a botanical illustration book of rare native Korean plants, an espresso cup set and red ginseng.

On Thursday, Lee welcomed the visit on X, formerly Twitter, writing that it was meaningful to host "President Ramos-Horta, who received the Nobel Peace Prize for a lifetime of dedication to peace and democracy."

Lee added that he hoped the official visit would serve as an opportunity to expand practical cooperation across various fields, and that the two countries would work more closely together for peace and prosperity now that Timor-Leste had joined ASEAN last year.


sang@heraldcorp.com