KUALA LUMPUR, 13 OCT – South Korea aims to be a strong partner for Malaysia in achieving its goal of becoming a ‘Top-30’ global economy through the latter’s Madani economy.
South Korean ambassador Yeo Sueng-bae said that it aimed to achieve the feat through collaboration in various forward-looking areas, with Malaysia.
He said that ever since the Korean kingdom was established more than 4,350 years ago on Oct 3, it had advocated the spirit of broadly benefitting the human world.”
“It matches well with the core values of Malaysia Madani such as compassion, respect, and trust.
“This year, as we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Korea-Malaysia ‘Look East Policy, we have made remarkable headway in our bilateral relationship across all domains.
“Among these, I would like to highlight three areas that broadly benefit both Korea and Malaysia – the flourishing bilateral exchanges; the future-oriented collaboration; and the ‘2030 Busan World Expo’,” Yeo said at the ‘South Korean National Foundation and Armed Forces Day 2023’ reception at the JW Marriott Hotel Kuala Lumpur in Jalan Bukit Bintang.
Guest-of-honour was Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.
Madani is a slogan conceptualised by Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s administration in reforming Malaysia into a country that believed in humanity and good values such as fair, just and effective governance.
Madani is an acronym to reflect six core values – namely sustainability, prosperity, innovation, respect, trust and compassion.
On the lourishing bilateral exchanges, Yeo said tht high-level interactions had been rejuvenated.
Among others, he said that South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim held their first and very productive summit in September.
One week later, Yeo added, the Korean National Assembly speaker paid a visit to Malaysia and engaged in fruitful discussions with his counterpart Tan Sri Johari Abdul.
“Cultural interactions are also vibrant. The Korean embassy has hosted approximately 20 events in Kuala Lumpur and other states, fostering cultural bonds between our two people.
“The forthcoming ‘Korea Travel Fest 2023’ at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre is another one.
“In addition, there is an exciting news for K-food fans. Now in Malaysia, you can enjoy premium korean beef which is halal-certified,” said Yeo.
He added that people-to-people exchanges were also gaining momentum.
“Malaysians love to visit Korea so much that their numbers rank 11th among foreign tourist arrivals in Korea.
“Simultaneously, Malaysia has become an increasingly popular destination for Koreans.
“More than 200,000 Korean tourists visited Malaysia in the first half of this year, securing the seventh highest place,” Yeo said.
He added that his embassy opened a consulate in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah recently, making it a first in Southeast Asia.
On the future-oriented collaboration, which is gaining traction for mutually shared benefits, Yeo said that South Korea was Malaysia’s eighth largest trading partner and seventh largest foreign investor, with over 400 Korean companies operating in Malaysia.
“In recent years, high-tech and eco-friendly sectors like hydrogen and carbon capture and storage, green energy, batteries and semiconductors have emerged as new areas of collaboration between South Korea and Malaysia,” he said.
On the government side, the first ‘South Korea-Malaysia Climate Change Dialogue’ was launched in early October.
“This is Malaysia’s first-ever high-level bilateral dialogue on climate issues.
“I believe that these initiatives – both at the government and business levels – will significantly contribute to our common goals in green energy transition, technological advancement and climate change response.
“In this context, the Korean government’s determination is well exemplified through the active engagement of K-water and K-eco in Malaysia,” said Yeo.
At the reception, South Korea exhibited a large ultra-high-definition monitor with it’s cutting-edge technology featuring videos on it FA-50 lead-in trainer jet and other defence assets that could bolster Malaysia’s national security.
Yeo also touched on the South Korean Air Force’s aerobatic team ‘Black Eagles’ that performed at the ‘Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (LIMA) 2023’ show in May.
On the ‘2030 Busan World Expo’, Yeo said it was a national project for the his government, companies and its people.
“The expo is intended to share our developmental experiences and technologies with Malaysia and Asean countries.
“We aim to contribute chiefly to addressing global challenges such as climate change and the digital divide, which are also of significant interest to Malaysia,” said Yeo. – airtimes.my
