Italian Ambassador to Korea Emilia Gatto speaks at Italian Republic Day in Seoul on Tuesday. (Sanjay Kumar/The Korea Herald) South Korea and Italy are "similar and complementary" countries, Italian Ambassador to Korea Emilia Gatto said as the two nations celebrated Italy's Republic Day in Seoul on Tuesday."Korea truly loves 'Made in Italy,' and Italy truly loves K-culture," Gatto said, highlighting the strong cultural affinity between the two countries.At the event, marking the 80th anniversary of the Italian Republic, Gatto noted that bilateral ties continue to deepen, adding that President Lee Jae Myung is expected to visit Italy in the coming weeks.Underlining the similarities between Italy and Korea, Gatto said, "Our two countries share many similarities — in our landscapes, our populations, our cultures and our love for beauty.""Koreans are the Italians of Asia. That is why Italians and Koreans love each other," she said, drawing a big round of applause from guests.Gatto also praised Korean cuisine, saying she loves both Italian and Korean food and "both Prosecco and makgeolli," and expressed hope that more Italians would come to appreciate Korea's traditional rice wine."Korean food has a great future in Italy," she said."If you go alone, you may go faster, but if we go together, we can go farther. Let us move forward together." Gatto added, quoting a proverb often used in Korea.Representing the Korean government, Deputy Foreign Minister Chung Eui-hae described Italy as "a true friend and steadfast partner" of Korea, recalling Italy's humanitarian medical mission during the Korean War and highlighting expanding cooperation in trade, technology, semiconductors and culture."The people of Korea and Italy share a deep appreciation for art, culture and cuisine," Chung said."It is particularly encouraging to see K-pop and K-dramas gaining popularity in Italy, while Italian fashion and design continue to attract great interest in Korea,” she added.