South Korea sees Türkiye as 'crucial' economic partner in Europe

By Mehmet Sah Yilmaz

South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin said Monday that his country sees Türkiye, where nearly 160 Korean companies operate, as one of the most important economic partners in Europe.

In an interview with Anadolu, he said: "Türkiye is one of the most important economic partners in Europe for South Korea."

Park said that his three-day visit to Türkiye, a "blood brother country," is meaningful and the strategic partnership of the two countries will develop further in various fields.

Recalling that Türkiye was the fourth country that sent the highest number of soldiers to fight in the Korean War, Park said: "Our people are always grateful, and they do not forget Türkiye's sacrifice."

- Defense cooperation

Park also mentioned the defense industry, saying the delivery ceremony of the Altay tank, equipped with a power pack supplied from Korea, was held in April.

He said he visited the 16th International Defense Industry Fair (IDEF'23) in Istanbul last week and met with Türkiye's National Defense Minister Yasar Guler.

"We talked about the cooperation between the two countries in the field of defense. There are good examples of cooperation between Korea and Türkiye, such as the Altay armored vehicle and the K9," he said.

On the February earthquakes, Park said South Korea has provided humanitarian aid worth $5 million to Türkiye.

South Korea is also building 2,000 temporary settlements for the survivors, he said.

"The Korean government continues to support earthquake survivors so that they can overcome the damage caused by the earthquake and have a sustainable social and economic life," he added.

The foreign minister further said that the future of industrial cooperation between Korea and Türkiye is "bright."

"I hope that the cooperation between the land forces, which is currently active, will extend to the navy."

Noting that as of March 2023, the cumulative investment of Korean companies in Türkiye is approximately $3.8 billion, Park stated that this investment figure has increased steadily.

Adding that investment in culture is as important as investment in industry, Park said: "I believe that not only will the Korean culture become widespread in Türkiye, but also that Turkish culture will spread in Korea and will further develop in a way that will benefit both sides."