Hungary is crucial in Asian countries’ efforts to establish ties in Europe and could become a regional hub for those countries, South Korea’s ambassador to Hungary told MTI on Saturday.
Nam Gwan-pyo spoke on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the establishment diplomatic ties between his country and Hungary, the first country in the post-Soviet bloc to do so.
Since 1989, bilateral ties have developed a lot, and cooperation is important for both parties, the ambassador said.
Concerning the situation between North and South Korea, the ambassador said it was up to the two countries to open up through starting a dialogue and building trust. North Korea, however, poses a military threat to its neighbour, the diplomat said. He also thanked Hungary for supporting the South Korean position on the matter.
On the subject of business ties between South Korea and Hungary, the ambassador said that bilateral trade between the countries was 2.8 billion dollars last year, 150 times as much as in 1989. He noted that some 50 Korean companies were active in Hungary and had invested 2 billion dollars in the country, creating 20,000 jobs. Hungary is globally appreciated for its technology and natural sciences, which attracts investors, he said.
The diplomat also noted that South Korea’s cultural centre in Budapest, opened in 2012, was the only such facility in the region.
Peter Wintermantel, deputy secretary at the Foreign Mininstry, told MTI that the anniversary would be marked with a rich programme in 2014.
The official said that cooperation between the two countries was based on shared values, and South Korea was also crucial for Hungary’s eastern opening strategy. He added that the two countries had a similar position on global challenges and both are ready to contribute to international efforts to make the world a safer and environmentally conscious place.
