Strong UAE-Korea ties hailed on National Day
dubai — The bilateral and cultural ties between the UAE and the Republic of Korea continue to prosper, Consul-General of South Korea Chun Young-wook said on the country’s National Day celebration in Dubai on Wednesday.
The event was attended by Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, Minister of Artificial Intelligence, as the chief guest. On the sidelines of the event, Al Olama told Khaleej Times that South Korea is leading the way in terms of AI and information technology and the UAE is looking for ways to collaborate with South Korea in this field.
Chun Young-wook said that cultural ties between the countries have gotten stronger as Emiratis get more involved in Korea’s pop culture and food.
“It is heartwarming to see how Emirati youngsters are eager to master the Korean language and how enthusiastic they are about the Korean-Wave, which includes Korean pop culture, drama, music, food and Taekwondo,” he said.
“Therefore, the consulate-general wants to reach out to people of all ages and all walks of life by sharing its culture, music, dance, cuisine, language and heritage to bridge any differences and to spread more understanding and tolerance between our two nations. Since the UAE has designated 2018 as the Year of Zayed, our consulate plans to hold a music and dance festival this November to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the consulate.”
Korea and the UAE have also worked closely together in various projects across different industries. Korea has also helped the UAE in the development of some of its satellites, including the Dubai-Sat 1 and 2.
“Korea has also participated in shaping Dubai’s international image, which is a testament to the expertise, talent and technology of Korean companies. The best example is Samsung C&T’s construction of The Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building. Not only that, but other Korean companies such as Doosan Heavy Industry are leading the way in designing and producing cheap, useful environment-friendly ways to desalinate sea water and produce drinking water, which is extremely vital for the UAE. Moreover, engineering companies such as SK Engineering are actually playing a significant role in building huge oil storage for the UAE’S Indian Ocean port,” Wook said.
“In 2018, we cooperated to construct the Barakah nuclear power plant, the first UAE nuclear power station, which has been constructed by Korean companies led by the Korean Electric Power Company in collaboration with the Emirate Nuclear Energy Corporation. This project is set to meet 25 per cent of the UAE’s electricity demand.”
The two countries are also working as a team when it comes to the medical sector.
“The operation of Sheikh Khalifa Specialty Hospital, which is managed by Seoul National University Hospital since 2014, is another example of cooperation, which attests to the trust placed on Korea’s outstanding medical expertise and technology. The cooperation also includes pharmaceuticals and medical devices through which Korea hopes to contribute to the UAE’s medical tourism industry and emergence as a medical hub in the region,” Wook said.
Over the past decade, the trade volume between the two countries has approximately reached $15 billion — South Korea became UAE’s eighth largest trade partner in terms of imports and ninth in exports. In UAE, there are about 170 Korean companies and 13,000 Korean residents.
It is heartwarming to see how Emirati youngsters are eager to master the Korean language.”
Chun Young-wook, Consul-General, South Korea