I have maintained extraordinary ties with Sweden, a nation in the spotlight each October due to the Nobel Prize announcements. This year, Oct. 10 also marked the centenary of the historic 1926 visit to Korea by Swedish Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf and Princess Louise. During their visit, the Crown Prince took part in the excavation of a Silla period tomb in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. The discovery of a magnificent gold crown there left him so captivated that he reportedly remarked that the thrill “surpasses becoming king.” The tomb was named Seobongchong. The excavation brought together Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf, who later became King Gustaf VI Adolf, and Choe Nam-ju, a young aspiring Korean archaeologist — my father. Their shared passion for archaeology resulted in a lifelong friendship and professional bond that preceded formal diplomatic relations between the two countries. Sustained through warm correspondence and personal exchanges over the decades, the friendship became a chapter in Korean-Swedish relations that still resonates with successive generations of Korean d