Earlier this week, the Dong-A Ilbo newspaper interviewed New Zealand Ambassador to Korea Philip Turner. During the interview, the Ambassador discussed the war in Ukraine and said it is more important than ever that like-minded countries work together to stand up against authoritarianism. Philip also praised South Korea and congratulated the new President, Yoon Seok-youl.
New Zealand and Korea mark their 60th anniversary of relations this year. There are a number of events planned to celebrate the milestone in both New Zealand and Korea.
The modern relationship with Korea started when New Zealand sent over 6,000 troops and equipment to fight in the Korean war. Since the war, the relationship between the two countries has grown rapidly. Today, bilateral trade passed 5.6 billion NZD. The two countries signed a FTA in 2015, and with Korea joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) there is even more connectivity between the two economies.
There are also over 40,000 Koreans living permanently in New Zealand and thousands of international students and temporary visitors. There are also several thousand New Zealanders living in South Korea.
Ambassador Turner also spoke in support of the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. He also talked about the "New Southern Policy", and his hope that the new government will continue to progress with its plan and promote stability in the Asia-Pacific Region.
Turner said New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern hopes to visit Korea later this year. More information about the visit will be released in the near future.
Source: Donga-ilbo