Official visit to Korea – Day 2

The day concluded with a concert at Grand Hyatt Hotel.

Business seminars

In the morning, The Crown Prince and Crown Princess attended the opening of a day of business seminars focusing on areas in which it will be possible to achieve closer Norwegian-Korean cooperation. Individual seminars were dedicated to natural gas, new forms of energy, information and communication technology and tourism.

Lecture

At 11:30 His Royal Highness Crown Prince Haakon gave a lecture entitled “Promoting Peace and Development: Norway’s Policy of Engagement” at Korea University. The lecture was hosted by the University’s Institute for Peace Studies.

Seminar on family life

Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mette-Marit attended the seminar “Reconciliation of work and family life – participation of women in private and public sectors”. The Republic of Korea is facing great challenges as a result of low birth rates and an aging population. This issue plays a prominent role on the political agenda, and the seminar discussed issues such as men’s and women’s possibilities for combining family and work, as well as men’s participation in family life and housework.

Seminar on tourism

Economic growth has boosted the interest for travelling abroad, and there has been a steady rise in the number of Korean tourists visiting Norway each year. Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mette-Marit attended this seminar, where a number of Norwegian tourist destinations gave presentations.

The Crown Princess and the Norwegian Minister of Trade and Industry, Dag Terje Andersen, both addressed the seminar.

Seafood

In the afternoon, The Crown Prince and Crown Princess attended an event hosted by the Norwegian Seafood Export Council. Korea is rapidly becoming an important market for Norwegian salmon. The event was held at New Core Kim's Mart Supermarket in Seoul, where Their Royal Highnesses were given a brief introduction to the Korean market for fish and Norwegian exports, and sampled Norwegian salmon prepared Korean style.

Concert

The day’s programme concluded in the evening with a concert given by Mr Stephan Barratt-Due (violin) and Ms CHUNG Soon-Mi (viola), together with 14 musicians from the Euro-Asian Philharmonic Orchestra.