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As President Lee Myung-bak wraps up the second leg of his one-week four-nation Middle East tour amid a veritable panic in Seoul to diversify the sources of Korea’s oil imports, East Asia’s third largest economy’s cultural diplomacy toward Saudi Arabia has gotten short shrift.
In addition to expanded economic exchanges and major nuclear power plant deals, Korea and Saudi Arabia have been quietly expanding cultural ties in recent years as well.
This year marks a major turning point in those relations for the two nations, as they celebrate the 50 years of diplomatic ties. Formal bilateral relations were inked on Oct. 16, 1962.
“The Kingdom pays special attention to its relationship with the Republic of Korea, in recognition of Korea’s leading role in the international community,” said Saudi Ambassador to Korea Ahmad Al Barrak in an interview with The Korea Times on the eve of his departure to Saudi Arabia for Lee’s visit.
Plans to bolster the cultural dimension of the Saudi-Korea relationship are already well underway. Lee participated as a guest of honor at the Arab kingdom’s biggest cultural festival of the year.
Lee gave a keynote speech at the Janadriyah Festival, Wednesday.
The Janadriah Festival started in 1985 when King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia sought to develop Saudi Arabia’s regional cultures. Janadriah is an area just outside of the Riyadh, the Kingdom’s capital.
The Korean Pavilion at the Janadriah Festival introduced Saudis to the history of 50 years of diplomatic relations between the two nations, as well as Korea’s history, traditions, arts, sports and Industry.
Korea’s participation in the Janadriah Festival is significant as just foreign nation has been invited as guest of honor, a practice initiated since 2008.
In Seoul, Saudi and Korean ministerial officials will convene in the 16th Session of the Saudi Korean Join Committee.
“Various aspects of cooperation will be discussed such as extending joint investment, and ways to promote exchanges in the fields of mutual interests such as education, culture, media, sports, tourism, vocational training, and social affairs,” Barrak said.
“Such activities will strengthen the political and economic relations between the two countries,” he said.
Saudi Arabia, in turn, will be the guest of honor at the Seoul International Book Fair this year.
Korea established a Korea-Arab Society in 2008 to coordinate the expansion of cultural ties toward the Arab world.
Bilateral trade has surged 300 percent over five years to 2011, in line with Korea weighing heavily on the importation of oil for its energy needs. Korea’s relationship with the Saudi Arabia has been rich in people-to-people exchanges.
After an embassy was opened in Riyadh in 1973, hundreds of thousands of Korean laborers, mostly in enormous construction projects, poured into the Arab kingdom, peaking at about 120,000 annually in 1982 and 1983. “This was the first experience for Saudis to come across the Korean people who reflected, clearly, their distinctive morals, deep respect and love towards others,” Barrak said.
Korea’s first mosque was built in the foreigner district of Itaewon in the 1970s and, through the 1980s, over 100,000 Muslim migrant workers came to Korea. These exchanges led to some Koreans adopting the Muslim faith. The Korea Muslim Federation estimates some 35,000 Koreans are Muslim.
More recently, Saudi Arabia established a scholarship for its citizens to study in Korea. Since 2010, the number of Saudi student coming to Korea has doubled.
There are about 2,000 Saudis in Korea and 3,000 Koreans in Saudi Arabia.
“Korea has impressive developmental experiences, and has achieved an advanced global ranking in terms of economic power while demonstrating astonishing distinction in many key industries,” Barrak said.
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