Embassy of the Republic of Korea to Negara Brunei Darussalam

Brunei Darussalam, an absolute monarchy, is a small Islamic country equivalent to the size of half of Gyeonggi Province, with a population of less than half million. Located on the northern coast of Borneo, the world’s third-largest island well recognized for its bio-diversity, more than 70% of Brunei’s land area is covered with rain forests. Its capital city of Bandar Seri Begawan is adorned with golden mosques and magnificent palaces. Most of all, Bruneian people, with a smile as beautiful as their nature, are kind and peace-loving people.

Brunei, which was once a long-time British protectorate, transformed into a rich country thanks to the discovery and export of crude oil and natural gas. It is now striving to reshape its economy into a dynamic and sustainable one through a strategy of diversification into the areas of downstream oil and gas, food, tourism, ICT and services. With its climate ambition of working toward net zero by 2050, Brunei has been working on the establishment of the ASEAN Centre for Climate Change in Brunei Darussalam to serve as a regional knowledge and research hub on climate change.

With the solidarity and unity among ASEAN member states as a strong basis, Brunei has nurtured friendly ties with countries all over the world. Korea established diplomatic relations with Brunei in 1984, when Brunei gained independence from British control. Since then, the two countries have cooperated closely at the bilateral level and in various multilateral arena including the UN, ASEAN and APEC. In particular, the year 2019, with then Korean President Moon Jae-in’s state visit to Brunei and His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah’s state visit to Korea, was a milestone in ROK-Brunei relations.

Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien Bridge, also known as Temburong Bridge, built with the benefit of the technologies and efforts of Korean engineers, significantly improved the connection between Temburong District and Bandar Seri Begawan, shortening the travel time from either a 50-minute boat ride or two-hour drive through Sarawak’s Limbang and four border checkpoints to a much shorter time of 20 minutes. The natural heritage of Temburong has well been well preserved and protected through the efforts of the Brunei government.

In Brunei, K-Pop, K-Dramas and Korean food enjoy great popularity among all sorts of people of all ages. In the Discovery Year Study Abroad Programme of Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), Korea is the most popular destination for young Bruneian students. In the year 2022 alone, a total of 135 UBD students chose to study in Korea. And such an interest in Korea has lead to more students learning the Korean language.

The year 2024 marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relationship between the two countries. Building on the ties of friendship, the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Brunei Darussalam will engage in heartfelt work for the further fostering and nurturing of the bonds. Indeed, it will pursue untiring endeavours to promote and protect the well-being and interests of Korean nationals including Korean businesses, students and the Korean community in Brunei. Your continued attention and support in this noble pursuit would be most deeply appreciated.

A sincere thank you once again for visiting the Korean Embassy. I wish you all the blessings of health and happiness. Thank you.