1. First Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam, in commemoration of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan, will host on June 28 an Iftar dinner for some 120 people, including diplomats to the Republic of Korea from member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and others related to Islam and the Middle East.

2. The Foreign Ministry expects that the forthcoming Iftar event, the 13th of its kind since the first held in 2004, will help promote the ROK’s friendship and cooperation with the Islamic world and enhance the ROK people’s understanding of Islam.

3. In particular, the event will bring together people from various walks of life, including the Dean of the Arab Diplomatic Corps in the ROK, an imam at the Korea Muslim Federation, the head of a Pakistani business group, the principal of a Quran School, an Arabic calligrapher, students in the ROK from the Islamic world, academic figures and businesspeople, shedding renewed light on the significance of sharing, thoughtfulness, respect and tolerance.

4. Going forward, the Foreign Ministry will seek various forms of cooperation with some 1.5 billion Muslims across the world for closer friendship, and communicate closely with them in continued efforts to enhance their image of the ROK.


* unofficial translation