Posted on: 28 May 2018
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea, Mr Lee Nak-yon, visited Trinity today.
The Prime Minister of South Korea visited Trinity’s Long Room situated in the College’s 18th century Old Library building.
Prime Minister Nak-yon was accompanied by Trinity’s Deputy President, Professor Chris Morash and the College Librarian Helen Shenton. He also met with Moonyoung Hong, a Korean PhD student attending Trinity.
He was shown the Book of Kells, the 9th century gospel manuscript famous throughout the world for its beautifully intricate decoration and representative of Ireland as a seat of art and learning.
Prime Minister Nak-yon also viewed some of the Library’s books related to Korea, including the first book about Korea in a European language ‘Journal van de Ongeluckige Voyage van ‘t Jacht de Sperwer’ written by Hendrik Hamel and published in the 17th century. Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver Travels also featured, as well as Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot which was performed in Seoul in 2006 to celebrate the playwright’s centenary.
