President Park Geun-hye will pay a state visit to Iran in early May. This is the first Korean head of state to visit Tehran since the two nations established diplomatic ties in 1962.
President Park will hold a summit meeting with Iranian leaders to discuss measures to enhance bilateral cooperation. They will cover traditional fields of cooperation, such as infrastructure, building factories and the energy sector, and also touch on other promising, future-growth sectors that include the healthcare sector, the environment, and ocean, marine and fishery products. The two sides will also exchange opinions on cooperation in the arts and sports, education and economic development. President Park’s itinerary will include a Korea-Iran business forum and some performances, all of which are designed to boost understanding between citizens of both countries.
Ever since economic sanctions were lifted in July last year, when the nuclear negotiations reached agreement, Iran has been gearing up to rebuild its economy by undertaking large-scale infrastructure construction projects. For this reason, Korea, as well as many other countries from around the world, have been striving to restart economic cooperation channels with Tehran as most cooperation ground to a halt over the past 10 years.
President Park Geun-hye’s upcoming state visit to Iran is expected to revitalize bilateral cooperation in business and the arts. The above photo shows the Joint Commission on Economic Cooperation between Iran and Korea, in Teheran on Feb. 29, 2016.
The two governments held the Joint Commission on Economic Cooperation between Iran and Korea on Feb. 29 this year. They discussed measures to bolster cooperation in the financial sector, industry, the energy sector, construction, building factories, the arts, and the healthcare and medical sectors.
The fourth joint Korea-Iran commission on culture and the arts was held on April 19. There, the two governments exchanged opinions about possible cooperation and exchanges in the arts and sports. Also, the two negotiated detailed measures to improve cooperation in various sectors, including culture, the arts, science, education, mass media, youth and sports, and they shared their common understanding across many sectors. Participants exchanged opinions about concrete ways to promote Korean traditions, the Korean language and Korean studies in Iran on the occasion of President Park’s visit.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, “The Korea-Iran joint commission on culture was resumed three years after having stopped in 2013. The commission offers a good opportunity to reassure people of our willingness and passion to strengthen cooperation in the arts between the two countries ahead of President Park’s visit, and in light of the 55th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Seoul and Tehran next year.”
President Park’s Iran trip will include Korea’s largest-ever business delegation, as both leading Korean corporations and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME) are all vying to participate in the recently-opened Iranian economy. The delegation will most likely include Samsung, Hyundai and Kia, as well as LG and POSCO.
Iranian Ambassador to Korea Hassan Taherian expressed his optimistic view on the opportunities Korean firms have in the Iranian market. Taherian said, “The Iranian market is undergoing fierce competition. The positive side is that Korean companies have been maintaining a relationship in Iran for a long time. Korean companies have gained a strong reputation in Iran, and have a good image in the country.” He was speaking at a lecture program titled “Ahpek Insights” that invited experts in various sectors to share their insights and management know-how with the audience, so as to help them effectively respond to changes both inside and outside the country.
“Many Iranian consumers love Korean automobiles and home appliances. It’s true that there is strong competition, but Korean firms will be successful, as they’re backed by the brand awareness and the image they’ve developed in Iran,” the ambassador said.
By Wi Tack-whan
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photo: Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy
whan23@korea.kr
