South Korean embassy in Turkiye marks 65th year of diplomatic ties with exhibition

By Ali Murat Alhas

ANKARA (AA) – The South Korean embassy in Ankara held an exhibition on Wednesday in which photos taken from the Anadolu Agency archive depicted years of interaction between countries.

Ambassador Won Ik Lee said the history of the Koreans and Turks dated back to centuries in the region of Asia where they were neighbors, and their paths crossed once again following the eruption of the Korean war in 1950 – which led to the creation of a special bond between two nations.

"A picture is worth a thousand words", the ambassador said while addressing the participants, adding the Anadolu Agency photos depicted various events connecting both nations since the establishment of relations; thus, he decided to hold the exhibit to mark the 65th anniversary of diplomatic ties established in 1957.

The South Korean envoy said the countries were more like a family than mere friends as they rushed to one another's help at times of help, as seen in Turkiye's efforts during the war and South Korean actions taken during the deadly earthquake that shook Turkiye in 1999, or 2021 when the country suffered from severe wildfires.

The authorities and public in South Korea launched a support campaign for Turkiye when it was hit by a deadly earthquake that left thousands of people dead. They are also sending rescue units to the country; they also took the initiative and donated tens of thousands of saplings to be built in provinces such as Mugla, Antalya and Osmaniye so that the country could recover from wildfires faster.

Also speaking at the event, Yusuf Ozhan, the deputy director general and editor-in-chief of Anadolu Agency, said the agency gladly contributed to the exhibition with its photos sharing the course of events marking milestones for countries' relations.

Ozhan noted the friendly ties grew stronger over time in various fields such as sports, culture, commerce, and the two countries put efforts into achieving peace across the world.

While countries are capable of establishing diplomatic ties easily when they are from the same region, the Turkish and South Korean case offers a unique example as the distance between the two countries did not prevent them from enjoying a solid relation, according to Ozhan.

Of the 16 countries participating in the Korean War, Turkiye ranked fourth with its personnel contribution of 21,212 and suffered third most losses with the demise of 966 soldiers, according to the Turkish Foreign Ministry citing South Korean sources. A total of 462 Turkish soldiers were laid to rest at the UN Memorial Cemetery in Busan, Korea.

Today, the two countries enjoy cooperation in several international organizations, including the UN and G-20, as well as MIKTA. They upgraded their bilateral relations to the "Strategic Partnership" level in 2012.