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Mon, June 27, 2022 | 02:55
Foreign Affairs
Korea, Iran to revive economic ties
민관 이란시장 공략 박차…포스코 16억달러 사업 참여
Posted : 2016-01-26 16:27
Updated : 2016-01-27 15:38
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By Yi Whan-woo

Korea and Iran will resume talks next month to revive their business ties in response to the international lifting of nuclear-related sanctions against Tehran on Jan. 16, according to officials, Tuesday.

The working-level dialogue took place 10 times before it was suspended in 2007.

The officials said that Korea will also discuss with the United States and Iran about restoring Seoul's payment channel for euros with Tehran as part of preparations to help Korean enterprises advance into the Iranian market.

"The ministries are working together on the government's efforts to expand its economic relations with Iran," an official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on condition of anonymity. "Under such circumstances, the economic dialogue is scheduled on Feb. 29 and it will take place between the commerce ministers of the two nations."

The official said that the Seoul and Tehran governments may sign a set of 15 memoranda of understanding relating to various sectors, including trade, construction and pier businesses.

It is speculated that Iran will finance Korea in nurturing Seoul's medical care system through a $4 billion-worth project involving Tehran University of Medical Sciences.

POSCO, Korea's leading steelmaker, seeks to collaborate with PKP, an Iranian steel manufacturer, to jointly set up a mill there.

An envisioned Korean economic delegation, which will be comprised of officials from up to 80 companies, is scheduled to visit Iran on Feb. 29, hold business forums and meet Iranian entrepreneurs.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Strategy and Finance will consult the U.S. Department of the Treasury as well as the Central Bank of Iran to restore the payment channel using euros. The lifting of the U.S-led sanctions against Iran still excludes trade conducted in dollars.

"Given such circumstances, use of euros will be relevant at the moment," said the foreign ministry official.

The official cited that finance authorities from Seoul, Washignton and Tehran will also discuss whether Korea should maintain a payment channel in Korean currency with Iran.

With consent from the U.S., Korea purchased a limited amount of crude oil from Iran and made the payment in Korean currency when the Washington-led sanctions were in effect.
The preparation on the governmental level comes after concerns that the government is behind China and Japan in helping its enterprises run businesses in Iran.


The critics have cited that Chinese President Xi Jinping and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani held a summit on Jan. 22 for economic cooperation.

Xi is the first foreign head of state to hold bilateral talks with Rouhani since Jan. 16.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is speculated to visit Tehran by June at the latest for a Japan-Iran summit.

Cheong Wa Dae has not mentioned anything about President Park Geun-hye's possible trip to Iran.

"I'd say Korea is being a slow starter and it would help if Park travels to Iran in the the second half," said Park Won-gon, an international relations professor at Handong University.


민관 이란시장 공략 박차…포스코 16억달러 사업 참여

내달 29일 10년 만에 한·이란 경제공동위 개최…130여명 경제사절단 파견

포스코가 16억달러(약 1조9천200억원) 규모의 대형 이란 제철소 건설사업에 참여한다.

정부는 10년 만에 재개되는 한-이란 장관급 경제공동위를 2월29일 이란에서 개최하며 130여명으로 이뤄진 대규모 경제사절단도 파견한다.

우태희 산업통상자원부 2차관은 26일 정부 세종청사에서 통상정책 정례브리핑을 열고 이란 경제제재 해제 이후 구체적으로 윤곽을 드러내는 현지 민관 진출 방안을 소개했다.

정부에 따르면 포스코는 이란 현지 PKP사가 차바하르경제자유구역에 건설하는 16억달러 규모의 제철소 건설 프로젝트에 지분 8% 가량 참여할 계획이다.

제철 공법은 포스코가 개발한 파이넥스(FINEX)-CEM(압축연속주조압연설비) 방식이 토대다.

포스코는 지난해 9월 PKP 등과 연산 160만t 규모의 파이넥스-CEM 일관제철소 건설 1단계 사업에 대해 업무협약(MOU)을 맺었으며 오는 3월 지분구조와 투자규모 등이 포함된 합의각서(MOA)를 추가로 체결할 예정이다.

파이넥스는 원료의 예비처리 과정 없이 값싼 가루형태의 철광석과 유연탄을 원료로 사용해 쇳물을 생산하는 기술을 말하며 CEM은 쇳물을 굳히는 연주공정과 철강재를 얇게 펴는 압연공정을 하나로 통합한 친환경 신기술이다.

1단계 사업 착공 목표 시점은 내년이며 1단계 사업이 순조롭게 진행되면 2019년부터는 냉연 연산 60만t 규모의 2단계 사업이 추진된다.

이와 함께 정부는 경제공동위 개최에 맞춰 무역진흥·인프라 건설·항만 개발 협력 등 총 15건의 MOU를 체결한다. 80여개 업체·기관(130여명)으로 구성된 경제사절단도 현지에서 수주 상담회 등을 개최할 계획이다.

테헤란 의과대학 종합병원 건립 등 이란 의료 시장에 한국이 진출하는 방안도 추진된다. 수출입은행과 무역보험공사는 총 70억달러(약 8조4천억원) 규모의 금융기본협정 체결도 진행하고 있다.

이에 앞서 2월 중순에는 석유·가스 분야 민관합동사절단이 이란을 방문해 해상시추설비 공급, 콘덴세이트(초경질유의 일종) 수입 확대 등 협력사업을 발굴한다.

이날 우 차관은 지난해 비관세장벽 사례를 모은 '2015 무역장벽 보고서'를 발간했다고 밝혔다.

보고서는 우리나라의 주요 12개 교역국의 지난해 비관세장벽 사례 141건을 8개 유형별로 수록했다. 무역장벽 건수가 가장 많은 나라는 중국(30건)이었고 브라질(12건)과 베트남(18건)은 전년보다 6건씩 늘었다.

2014년 무역장벽 건수는 12개국 기준으로 총 113건이었다. (연합뉴스)
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