By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee

Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul hosted an Iftar Dinner to celebrate the holy month of Ramadan, inviting various guests from the business, academic, media, and cultural communities, including diplomatic corps of Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member countries on March 11.

Iftar, which means “break fast,” refers to the first meal after sunset at the end of the daily fast during Ramadan, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been organizing Iftar events since 2004 to promote mutual friendship and cooperation with the Islamic world.

Speaking at the dinner, Cho said he was pleased to host the Iftar event again this year, and hoped that it would serve as a valuable time to reflect on the deep solidarity and exchanges between Korea and the Islamic world, and to strengthen mutual understanding and cooperation.

He also recalled the spirit of Ramadan - reflection, solidarity, and peace - and emphasized that Korea will continue to contribute to international peace and stability based on the spirit of reflection and solidarity.

In his remarks, H.E. Ambassador Al-Nuaimi of UAE to Korea, Head of the Arab Diplomatic Corps in Korea, expressed his deep appreciation to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for continuing to organize the Iftar Dinner on the occasion of Ramadan, and noted that Korean-Islamic relations have developed over the years based on mutual understanding and respect, and hoped that the dinner would help build friendship among different religions and cultures.

The Iftar Dinner was attended by more than 200 people, and is considered to be an opportunity for communication between Korean and Islamic cultures, and to reflect on the meaning of Ramadan, including solidarity, tolerance, sharing, peace, and gratitude.