Iran is land of opportunity: Park

By Kang Seung-woo

President Park Geun-hye expressed hope, Wednesday, that improved ties with Iran will create growth momentum for the South Korean economy.

Park returned home from her historic trip to Tehran ― she was the first South Korean leader to visit the Middle East country since the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations in 1962.

“I believe Iran can become a land of opportunity for many South Korean firms,” Park told reporters on a plane back to Seoul.

“I will make efforts to create the second ‘Middle East boom.’”

She referred to extensive construction orders won by Korean companies in the 1970s and 1980s, which laid the foundation for the country’s rapid rise to economic prosperity.

Her trip was initiated to upgrade the ties between Korean and Iran as the latter is emerging as a land of opportunity for foreign investment after the lifting of international sanctions in January.

During her visit, the two countries signed 66 memoranda of understanding that could lead to contracts worth $37.1 billion to revitalize Iran’s economy, stunted by the sanctions.

“Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani expressed a strong desire for Iran to improve the strategic cooperative ties with Korea in a variety of areas,” Park said.

“We have agreed to expand cooperation in fresh sectors including health care, medicine and energy as well as in large-scale infrastructure development projects.”

Also, the President said her meetings with Khamenei and Rouhani have created wiggle room for the two nations to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue.

The Iranian president voiced his country’s opposition to nuclear development on the Korean Peninsula in a joint press conference after his summit with Park, Monday.

Pyongyang and Tehran have maintained close relations ― especially in the development of nuclear materials ― but Rouhani’s comment supporting a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula may be a bitter blow to the North, according to diplomatic experts.

“I think his statement is very rare and significant in resolving the issue given their close relations,” Park said.

Although Khamenei did not mention North Korea and its nuclear program in a meeting with Park, his call for the settlement on terrorism and insecurity around the world was translated as him standing in agreement with Rouhani.

President Park has urged the Kim Jong-un regime to follow in Iran’s footsteps in curbing its nuclear activities and joining the international community. In July last year, Iran reached a landmark deal with world powers to rein in its nuclear program and sanctions were lifted in January.

However, the repressive state has rejected the call, saying the North Korean and Iranian situations are “quite different.”