Taiwan and South Korea are complementary to each other, which facilitates cooperation, new South Korean representative, Lee Eun-ho, said on Friday (July 2).

The two countries are similar in that they both experienced democratisation and economic development, Lee said. The representative said his primary goal is to promote and encourage bilateral cooperation in industries, science research, academia, legislation, and safety (firefighter and police training).

Lee noted that K-dramas and K-pop are popular in Taiwan and are an area of untapped cooperation. Taiwan and South Korea could combine more young talents, including singers and dancers, to form new musical acts, he said.

Product promotion in movies and dramas could also be increased, he suggested.

Lee also pushed for a stronger partnership in semiconductor chip cooperation. Taiwan’s major exports to South Korea are processor chips, while South Korea’s chief exports to Taiwan are memory chips.

Both nations “occupy good places in the semiconductor industry,” he said.

Commenting on bilateral tourism, Lee said 1.3 million Taiwanese traveled to South Korea and 1.2 million South Koreans visited Taiwan in 2019. The South Korean government has been eager to boost tourism now that the pandemic has waned, but he lamented that there were not enough flights.

Taiwanese castella cakes and sandwiches from Hongrui Zhen Sandwich are very popular amongst South Koreans, he said.

South Korea and Taiwan share many things, including democracy, prosperity, and similar living standards, Lee said, adding that the younger generations in the two countries also share the same interests. The future will be better if we work together, he said.

Lee’s appointment as the representative to Taiwan stands out from his predecessors, as his background is in mechanical engineering. He previously served as the head of the Korea Strategic Trade Institute.

He replaced Chung Byung-won, who had held the position beginning in December 2021.

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4908414

Category: Taiwan