BKS Annual Reception at the House of Commons, 27 November 2025
Posted by: Hannah Giles | Posted on: February 10th, 2026
Terrace Pavilion, House of Commons
The British Korean Society held its annual reception at House of Commons on 27 November. The reception took place in the Terrace Pavillion with spectacular views of the River Thames and the London Eye. Our host was The Rt Hon Sir Ed Davey, Head of the Liberal Democratic Party and Chair of the UK-Korea All Parliamentary Group. Sir Ed had just prior to the start of the reception led a fascinating and informative tour of both Houses of Parliament for the 18 BKS members and guests who had signed up for it.
Simon Smith, the executive chair of the BKS, thanked Sir Ed Davey for hosting the event and for giving some members a tour of the Parliament building. Simon thanked the BKS Committee for their work throughout the year. He was especially happy that we held events outside of London – in Oxford and Durham. The next year would be a special one as it will be the 70th Anniversary of the BKS, and 25 years since the opening of the British Embassy in Pyeongyang. The Society hope to mark the occasion with a number of events throughout the year.
Sir Ed Davey paid tribute to the Korean Government and the Korean People – they had a great approach to democracy and values. It was no surprise that Korean culture is now so popular in the UK, which has led to many British people visiting Korea. Our relationship is flourishing in the trade, defence, security and education sectors. Sir Ed paid tribute to the work of the BKS and thanks Sylvia Han for her work with the society.
Sungho Han, the Chargé d’Affaires of the Republic of Korea, thanked the BKS for their work and particularly thanked Sir Ed Davey for his contribution to UK-Korea relations. He noted that the UK sent 80,000 troops to fight in the Korean war – the Republic of Korea would never forget their sacrifice. Korea is now a free and democratic country with an open minded and pragmatic foreign policy. He noted that Korea can count on the support of the UK when dealing with the DPRK. He also singled out our many cultural exchanges in the creative industries.
We were then treated to a vocal performance by Yewon Kim and Eve Yein Kim` who sang. They were truly brilliant.
The 85 or so in attendance also enjoyed some lovely food and wine which was an excellent way to round off a wonderful evening.
