They celebrate life not death, the family not the individual, and participation not isolation. Their laughter and voices are often loud. These are the South Koreans in the eyes of many Egyptians.
South Korea is often present in Egyptian discussions, and they usually begin with the question “why can’t we be more like South Korea?” We started the development journey at the same time in the 1960s, and the South Koreans have been able to prove to the world that the East can rise again like a phoenix. We are proud of their success, and we consider it to be our success, because it is also our path to the future.
This interest probably explains what has become known as the “Korean wave”, which has now reached the Middle East and is being embraced by Egyptians. The South Koreans have begun to respond and to revive the ties of the ancient Korean Silla Kingdom with the Arab world.
Egypt has gained a distinguished friend on its journey towards the future, and in return South Korea is betting on Egypt as being a pivotal state, a gateway to the Arab world and Africa, and one of the leaders of the Global South. It is a love story that is being formed, driven by a desire to present a humane vision to a world that has been exhausted by Western civilisation with its selfishness, arrogance, and endless wars.
When nations achieve success, they start to trust what they hold dear, which is their vision of life, their history, their lifestyle, their food, and their music. The Middle East is witnessing a new interest in the South Korean BTS band, evident with the opening of a store in Dubai last September selling everything related to the band.
An interlocutor in South Korea told me that it all started with the successful hosting of the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. At that moment, many South Koreans said that “we have succeeded. We can proudly go out to the world and present our culture, history, food and music.”
Today, South Korea wants to make the hosting of the Asia-Pacific Summit a unique event, another glimpse into their world, and to introduce Gyeongju, the ancient capital of Silla during the Korean Three Kingdoms Period (57 BCE – 668 CE), and the Great Silla Kingdom (668 – 935 CE) to the world.
Gyeongju is located in the southeastern corner of the Korean Peninsula. It has been a trading centre since the 7th century CE, and it hosted merchants from the Western and Eastern Silk Roads, including from China, the Arabian Peninsula, and Japan. It played a valuable role in cultural exchanges. Today, South Korea wants to use it to boost its soft power.
The close relationship between South Korea and Egypt is important for both countries in terms of business, development, and security. Egyptian Ambassador to South Korea Khaled Abdel-Rahman has drawn up a roadmap for the future, notably including increasing Korean investments in Egypt to $20 billion, establishing a Korean electric car factory in Egypt, increasing Korean investments in the New Administrative Capital, increasing the investments of Korean pension funds and sovereign wealth funds in real estate projects, and establishing smart cities in the Middle East and Africa.
He wants to see the establishment of a South Korean industrial zone in the East Suez region, localising industry and attracting Korean companies, a regional centre for training workers, an agreement on labour movement between the two countries, which will provide 10,000 Egyptian workers ready to go to South Korea, the enhancement of cooperation on artificial intelligence (AI) and other sciences, and the establishment of a regional branch of the Korean Institute of Science and Technology in Egypt to support Egyptian start-ups.
On Abdel-Rahman’s roadmap is the prospect of two million South Korean tourists visiting Egypt and the establishment of regular direct flights between the two countries, taking advantage of the airline Asiana operating two flights per day starting next October. He believes that the time is right for a Korean presidential visit to Egypt, the reactivation of the Egyptian-Korean Business Council, and the holding of a Korean music concert at the foot of the Pyramids on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of relations between the two countries.
C
OOPERATION: Egypt and South Korea have established a cooperation portfolio valued at $1.3 billion, reflecting Egypt’s determination to strengthen its strategic partnership with South Korea for mutual progress and prosperity.
Minister of International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat said this during her speech at the Korean-African Summit last June. She emphasised Egypt’s commitment to key priorities within the Korean-African partnership, encompassing development plans, innovative financing solutions, infrastructure projects, the health sector, and investments, as well as peace and development, the fight against terrorism, and technology transfers.
Egyptian Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli met recently with representatives of prominent South Korean companies operating in the Egyptian market with a view to expanding South Korean investments in Egypt. The sectors looked at included electrical appliances, textiles, oil and gas, nuclear energy, iron and steel, petrochemicals, subway cars, and Egyptian agricultural products.
Egypt has secured a €64 million loan from South Korea to expand the Cairo Metro Line 3. And South Korea is exploring expanding cooperation with the Upper Egyptian governorates.
The number of international partners signing free-trade agreements (FTA) with South Korea is expected to increase to 77, representing 90 per cent of the world’s GDP, within South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s current term. The target countries include Egypt, Mongolia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Tanzania, and Morocco because they can serve as strategic bases for production and exports, while diversifying South Korea’s supply chain for core minerals.
Egypt is a pivotal strategic partner for South Korea on the African continent. Currently, over 40 Korean enterprises in various sectors are operating in Egypt, showcasing the robust commercial synergies between the two nations. The trade volume between Egypt and South Korea is on a trajectory towards recovery in 2024, buoyed by the recent positive shifts in Egypt’s economic landscape.
To secure national sovereignty in science and technology, South Korean government investment of KRW 30 trillion over the next five years will go to 12 strategic technologies. Its five-year plan has a mid- to long-term policy direction for developing 12 national strategic technologies such as semiconductors, displays, batteries, next-generation nuclear power, cutting-edge biotechnology, aerospace, and AI and quantum computing. New projects will be developed in key gap industries such as advanced robots, manufacturing, hydrogen, and cybersecurity.
As we look to the future together, the ties between Egypt and South Korea go beyond business and diplomacy, as they are rooted in shared experiences, cultural exchanges, and a bright future.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 26 September, 2024 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
Short link: