South Korea reaffirms stronger relations with Riyadh

South Korean Ambassador to the Kingdom Pyung-oh Kwon has reaffirmed that Seoul has been a trustworthy partner in developing Saudi infrastructure and is fully committed to a strategic partnership that will take bilateral cooperation to a new high, including closer cooperation in realizing Saudi Vision 2030.
Speaking to Arab News on Sunday, on the 54th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relationship between the two countries, the envoy congratulated the Saudi government and people with appreciating remarks for extending support in the development of cordial relations.
He expressed his gratitude for the hospitality of the Kingdom, saying that South Korea and Saudi Arabia have developed strong ties since the establishment of diplomatic relations on Oct. 16, 1962.
“Our two countries are indispensable partners to each other,” he underlined. He said, “Korea has been a trustworthy partner in developing Saudi infrastructure; it has contributed to building major infrastructures including buildings, roads and bridges, and power plants. Today the cooperation has expanded and been diversified to various areas that include health and medical, renewable and nuclear energy, housing and new city development, defense industry and information and technology.”
The ambassador maintained that the two countries are working closely in the atomic and renewable energy sector, and to make the best use of the abundant sunlight in the Kingdom, Korea has made substantial investment in the solar energy sector.
“KCC has built a manufacturing facility in the Jubail industrial zone to produce 3,000 tons of polysilicon a year, which is raw material for solar panels,” he said.
Moreover, Hanwha Chemical also invested in a production facility in Hail for 4,000 tons a year of EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) film to be used for solar panel lamination, he said, adding that a consortium including Hanwha and Daewoo Engineering & Construction is engaged in a project to build 100,000 homes in a new city named Dahiyat Al-Fursan, located 35 km north of Riyadh.
Furthermore, Saudi Aramco, through a joint venture with Hyundai Heavy Industries, is working to establish a shipbuilding and repair complex for commercial vessels on the east coast of the Kingdom, the first of its kind in the Middle East, he pointed out. The project is expected to create 500,000 jobs in the region, the envoy noted.
“Both countries have also affirmed the strong will to closely cooperate in realizing Saudi Vision 2030,” said Pyung-oh.

Source: Arab News