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Korea and Romania on March 30 celebrated 30 years of diplomatic relations, with the leaders of the two countries exchanging congratulatory letters that stressed the importance of bilateral ties.


President Moon Jae-in mentioned the strengthening of two-way cooperation in areas such as politics, economy, education and culture. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis talked about the priority Korea holds in Romania's external policy and the importance of bilateral cooperation on the international stage.

In an interview late last year with Biz Magazine of Romania, the Korean ambassador to Bucharest said bilateral relations have rapidly developed since 1990, citing 260 Korean companies working in Romania whose efforts have improved both economies. He also mentioned growing interest in Korean culture -- not only K-Pop but also traditional Korean heritage -- among young Romanians, with a lot of potential to be explored, as a means to maximize the benefits of diplomatic ties. He also said areas left to be explored are related to infrastructure, IT and agriculture.

Most recently, Romania and a Korean company signed a contract on the import of COVID-19 test kits with the help of the Korean government.

I am also a beneficiary of relations between the two countries. Romanian students have the opportunity to study the Korean language and culture at no less than three universities in their country. They can also study in Korea as exchange students or by applying for the Korean Government Scholarship Program or others available to Romanians.

Furthermore, opportunities are rising for Korean speakers in Romania, whether as interpreters at events or business meetings, and those fluent in Korean can also attend the many events organized by the Korean Embassy in Bucharest. The embassy has a strong presence online, organizing events and even contests for people who love Korea.

I've attended several events, done interpretation and worked by using the Korean language. One memory I will always cherish is competing in Quiz on Korea 2019, as the Romanian representative. Though this achievement is insignificant to others, none of them would've been possible without the establishment of the diplomatic relationship in 1990. I thus wish Korea and Romania a happy 30th anniversary of bilateral ties.


Korea.net