Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Malaysia

Apa khabar! It is my great honour and pleasure to come to Kuala Lumpur on 28th October, 2022, as the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Malaysia. Over the years, Korea and Malaysia have achieved outstanding developments together as friends, partners and neighbors.

Korea and Malaysia have a long-standing friendship. Although not known to many, shortly after the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1960, Malaysia contributed to the funding for building a bridge named ‘Malaysia Bridge,’ in a village in Gyeonggi Province of Korea, near the border with North Korea. Then in the 1980s, a Korean construction and engineering company built the ‘Penang Bridge’ connecting the island of Penang with Peninsula Malaysia. Korean companies also took part in building Kuala Lumpur's iconic Petronas Twin Towers. Likewise, Korea and Malaysia are close friends who achieved economic and social development together over more than sixty years.

Korea and Malaysia are mutually important and reliable partners. Malaysia is Korea's 13th largest trade partner and Korea is Malaysia's 8th largest trade partner, with total trade volume exceeding USD 20 billion in 2021, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the early 1980s, the government of Malaysia has been pursuing cooperation with Korea with great importance under the Look East Policy (LEP). In 2023, our two countries will commemorate the LEP's 40th Anniversary and also plan together the next 40 years ahead.

Korea and Malaysia are very familiar neighbors. Korean music or K-pop, K-dramas, and movies are much loved in Malaysia, along with a wide variety of Korean products ranging from food, fashion, cosmetics, and electronic devices. Malaysia is one of the favorite destinations for Koreans travelling overseas. The total number of visitors between Korea and Malaysia reached the one-million mark for the first time in 2019 and we are now seeing the number of people-to-people exchanges recovering as we are moving towards the endemic phase with the relaxed travel restrictions. The Embassy will soon open a consular office in Kota Kinabalu in Sabah to cater to the growing number of Korean expatriates and tourists in East Malaysia.

With the Indo-Pacific region becoming ever more important geopolitically and geoeconomically in the recent years, Korea and Malaysia are working on bringing our cooperation to a new height for peace and common prosperity in the region and beyond. By elevating our bilateral ties to a strategic partnership, we will further promote and revitalize our mutually beneficial exchanges in various areas, including diplomacy, defense, economy, and culture. The Embassy of the Republic of Korea will continue to serve as a strong and reliable bridge linking Korea and Malaysia, and bringing our two peoples together.

I look forward to your continued interest in and support for Korea-Malaysia relations and the Embassy of the Republic of Korea. Thank you. Sekian, terima kasih.