Celebrations to Mark 20 Years of Seoul-Moscow Ties
By Kim Sue-young
Staff Reporter
Marking the 20th anniversary of diplomatic ties this year, South Korea and Russia will hold a variety of cultural events in a bid to promote understanding of each country's culture.
The two countries also plan to boost academic exchanges by establishing "Korea-Russia Dialogues."
Under the program, top-notch universities of the two countries will focus on six categories, including economics, politics and education.
"The celebrations will include a range of cultural events," an official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade told The Korea Times, asking to remain anonymous. "An opening ceremony is scheduled to be held in Moscow in April."
But the governments are not the only hosts of the cultural events, he added.
In order to inject more creativity and color, civil organizations and academic institutes are welcome to design and present their own cultural occasions.
For example, Sungshin Women's University in Seoul held a fashion show featuring the traditional Korean attire called hanbok in Moscow last Tuesday.
About 140 Korean students presented their own creations to celebrate the anniversary of Seoul-Moscow relations.
Additionally, Korea University here and St. Petersburg State University will launch an entity to help academic exchanges this year.
"Korea-Russia Dialogues will focus on issues regarding politics, economics, culture, education, future generations and the media," the official said. The two schools are discussing details, including a starting date.
The two countries are also eager to cooperate in economic projects.
Korean firms are seeking to be involved in the construction of gas pipes in eastern Siberia and Hyundai Motors has made investments in the city of St. Petersburg, he said.
Trade between the two countries is also brisk. It increased by 22.4 percent reaching $18.4 billion in 2008, according to the Russian Embassy in Seoul.
What's more, the total volume of Korean investments in Russia during the first quarter of 2009 reached $1.26 trillion, it said.
They are also seeking joint investment projects in energy, petrochemical and automobile industries, which is expected to boost mutual trade.
For the past two decades, the two countries have witnessed significant developments in relations.
When President Lee Myung-bak made an official trip to Moscow in 2008, he and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev agreed to upgrade the bilateral relations to a strategic partnership.
They also confirmed that bilateral relations between the two countries are considered a priority in their foreign policies in the Asia-Pacific region.