Embassy of the Republic of Korea to the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Thank you for visiting the Embassy website.

The Netherlands is a small country in Western Europe that requires a 10-hour flight from Korea. However, the Netherlands is a country that is not too unfamiliar to us and although small, it is a powerful country. In our history class, we learn about the history of the Dutch East India Company leading world trade in the 17th century. At that time, there were two sailors, Jan Janszn Weltevree, later known by his Korean name Pak Yon, and Hendrick Hamel, that each drifted to Joseon, the last dynastic kingdom of Korea. In particular, Hamel’s records known as ‘Hamel's Journal’ that describe the ways of life and various institutions and customs of Joseon are famous for introducing Korea to the West for the first time. The Netherlands is also well-known for windmills and tulips, as well as Van Gogh and Rembrandt.

The city of The Hague in the Netherlands is a meaningful city steeped in the history of the Martyr Yi Jun, who participated in the Second Hague Peace Conference in 1907 and tried to publicize Japan's invasion of the Korean Empire's sovereignty. The Netherlands is also a country of benefactors, one of 16 countries that helped us repel North Korean aggression by sending troops during the Korean War.

The Netherlands is a country with a quarter of its land below sea level, a fact that the country's name (Nederland; low land) itself bears out. In this way, I think the strong pioneering spirit and diligence of the Dutch people, who have relentlessly fought against water threats and reclaimed the sea into fertile soil over the centuries and who have grown today into world leaders in finance and logistics, floriculture and dairy farming, and new and renewable energy, is very similar to the image of Korea relentlessly blocking outcries and today standing tall on the world stage as one of the world's top 10 economic powerhouses with the vision of becoming a global pivotal nation.

In November 2022, while Korea and the Netherlands share universal values such as freedom, democracy, human rights, the rule of law, and a norm-based international order, an agreement was made to upgrade the relationship between the two countries to a strategic partnership by further developing relations in various fields such as diplomacy, security, economy, trade, and investment. In particular, in a mutually complementary and interdependent economic relationship, we maintain a cooperative relationship that is very essential for the stable management of the international semiconductor supply chain, and I believe there is great potential to further strengthen cooperation in fields such as nuclear power and defense.

Although our two countries are geographically distant from each other, we have a very special relationship in terms of history, economy and security. Our embassy will continue to make efforts to further deepen and develop bilateral relations in the future so that they can benefit both countries as well as the international community. Furthermore, with the Netherlands also being a country of international law, we will make efforts to ensure that Korea's national interests are reflected as much as possible in international organizations such as the International Court of Justice (ICJ), International Criminal Court (ICC), and Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) that are located here. 

In addition, we will faithfully serve as a bridge between our compatriots residing in the Netherlands and our homeland, and we will do our best to provide safety and convenience to Koreans visiting the Netherlands. Beside this, we also strive to assist as many Dutch residents as possible on their endeavors to explore and learn about Korea. 

I hope that you will find as much useful information as possible on our embassy’s website that you have come to visit.

Thank you. 

Ambassador of the Republic of Korea Hyoung Chan Choe