INTERVIEW Slovenia eyes closer ties with Korea across economic, political, cultural fronts

By Kim Hyun-bin

• Published May 7, 2025 10:27 PM KST

Two years after opening its first embassy in Seoul, Slovenia is deepening its strategic, economic and cultural ties with Korea, viewing it as a pivotal and like-minded partner in East Asia.

“There are many reasons why we opened an embassy in Korea,” Slovenian Ambassador to Korea Jernej Muller said in an interview with The Korea Times at the Slovenian Embassy in Seoul on April 21. “But one of the most pressing reasons was the need to establish a diplomatic presence in a like-minded Asian country. As a small country, Slovenia has a limited diplomatic footprint in Asia. Before Korea, we only had embassies in Beijing and Tokyo.”

When Slovenian officials began deliberating on where to expand, Korea emerged as the top choice.

“We already had strong cooperation with Korea, especially from an economic and logistical point of view. There was already a well-established shipping line between Busan and Koper, our main port, and we wanted to expand on that. Korea is also a regional leader, and politically, our values are aligned. We are both U.N. Security Council nonpermanent members, and that was an important point for our government.”

The ambassador also welcomed Korea’s recent decision to open an embassy in Slovenia.

“This is a very important step," he said. "It shows that Korea is equally interested in deepening ties. It gives me more energy to do my job, knowing we’re building something truly mutual.”

The embassy's main focus, Muller explained, has been expanding economic cooperation, particularly in the automotive sector.

“Slovenia doesn’t produce many cars, but we are strong in the production of auto parts. Historically, most of our supply went to the German car industry. But after COVID showed how fragile global supply chains can be, our companies began looking for new partners.”

That pivot led Slovenia’s automotive sector to deepen ties with Korean carmakers such as Hyundai and Kia. One Slovenian company, Kolektor, has already made a direct investment in Korea and operates a facility in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, that supplies parts for the Korean automotive market.

“We see Korea as a strategic partner in this field," he said. "I like to say, ‘There is not a single car in the world that doesn’t have at least one part made in Slovenia,’ and we want to keep it that way.”

Beyond automotives, Slovenia is also turning toward future-oriented sectors.

“We’re especially interested in hydrogen and biopharma," he ambassador said. "These are R&D-heavy industries, and Slovenia is investing heavily in science and innovation. We want to strengthen cooperation with Korea in those areas.”

The groundwork for this cooperation is already being laid. Muller noted that Slovenia’s Minister of Science visited Korea at the end of last year and met with his Korean counterpart, including officials from the Ministry of ICT and Science. Slovenian officials also consulted with research institutes and the Federation of Korean Science and Technology Societies.

“There are preliminary talks ongoing, but we also want to update our bilateral agreement on science and technology, which dates back to the 1990s," he said. "It’s outdated. We need to bring it into the present and include newer technologies.”

On the trade side, Muller emphasized Slovenia’s strategic location in Europe as a unique opportunity for Korean businesses.

“Geographically, Slovenia sits at the heart of Europe — between Central, Eastern and Southern Europe," he said. "All major transport routes from west to east and north to south go through our country. Our port of Koper is the largest container port in the Adriatic Sea, and it's already used by Korean companies like Kia and Hyundai to ship goods to their factories in Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary.”

Companies such as POSCO and Hyundai Glovis are already operating in Slovenia’s logistics and shipping ecosystem.

“POSCO has a presence in Koper due to its steel operations, and Glovis is also active. We want Korea to see Slovenia as the entry point to Central Europe. The route is shorter and more direct than through Northern Europe," he said.

"Slovenia offers real advantages: easy company registration, EU market access and strong infrastructure."

Political, cultural exchanges

In terms of political cooperation, Korea and Slovenia are finding common ground in multilateral diplomacy, especially as both are current nonpermanent members of the U.N. Security Council. “Our focus has been working together on key global issues," the ambassador said. "Of course, our priorities may differ slightly — Slovenia is very focused on Ukraine and developments in Gaza and the Mediterranean. But on the broader issues, like North Korea and East Asia’s security, we are fully aligned.”

Muller said the shared commitment to multilateralism forms the bedrock of their political partnership.

“There can be no unilateral solutions to global crises," he said. "We must work together. That applies to Ukraine, the Korean Peninsula and the climate crisis. Slovenia and Korea both believe in the value of diplomacy and multilateral cooperation.”

Cultural exchanges have also been a key focus for the young embassy.

“Since we established the embassy, we’ve promoted Slovenian culture here — though it takes time. One major event coming up is the visit of the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra in November. That will be a highlight.”

In previous years, the embassy has supported visiting Slovenian artists, writers and even poetry displays.

“We recently partnered with Seoul City to display Slovenian poetry translations in Hangangjin Station. We’re trying to be present in Korean society and introduce who we are," Muller said.

“Economic cooperation is already happening, but to go to the next level, our people need to understand each other better. My mission is to show Koreans the opportunities in Slovenia, to build bridges — not just between governments but between our people.”