Spanish Ambassador to Korea Guillermo Kirkpatrick speaks at an event commemorating National Day of Spain at Four Seasons Hotel in Jongno-gu, Seoul on Thursday. (Sanjay Kumar/The Korea Herald)

Spain lauded strengthening ties with South Korea, marking its National Day on Thursday.

Spain commemorates Oct. 12 to mark the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas in 1492.

In his remarks at the event, Spanish Ambassador to Korea Guillermo Kirkpatrick recalled South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's 2022 visit to Madrid for the NATO summit and Spanish President Pedro Sanchez's historic visit to Korea in the same year.

He underscored recent discussions between the countries' foreign ministers as well as upcoming preparations for the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties in 2025, noting Spain's enduring friendship with South Korea, which was established in March 1950, just before the outbreak of the 1950-53 Korean War.

He also congratulated South Korea for securing a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council for a three-year term. Spain will join the Human Rights Council in January at the same time, he added.

“And here again, we are ready to work together with Korea to uphold respect for human rights in the world," Kirkpatrick said.

Trade relations between Spain and Korea show a growing trend and they have been diversifying over the last decade, with free trade agreements between the EU and Korea.

The ambassador also highlighted Spain’s leadership in renewable energy, noting the country’s expertise in solar and wind power and its alignment with South Korea’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.

Kirkpatrick also cited Spain as a global leader in tourism for over 60 years and Korea as one of its largest outbound markets in Asia.

“In 2019, more than 630,000 Korean tourists visited Spain, and we expect to surpass that record by 2025 as tourism recovers,” said Kirkpatrick.

Meanwhile, South Korea’s deputy minister for public diplomacy, Hong Suk-in, echoed the ambassador’s sentiments, stressing that Spanish-Korea ties benefit not only both countries, but also contribute to global peace and prosperity.

Hong further noted that trade between the two nations reached an all-time high of $5.8 billion last year and highlighted cultural exchanges between the two countries.