COVID-19: Korea and Sri Lanka among safest places in the world – Korean Ambassador

Korea and Sri Lanka have successfully contained COVID-19, which has made the two countries among the safest places in the world, Korean Ambassador Woonjin Jeong said.

“Korea is trying to provide tangible support to Sri Lanka to counter and combat COVID-19 this year, strengthening its cooperation to uplift public health in Sri Lanka”, he noted in a statement to mark the National Foundation Day of the Republic of Korea on October 3.

Korea, once an international aid recipient, has now become an aid donor. Korea has grown to become the first donor country recognized as such, coming from the ranks of recipient countries. Korea is thankful to the international community, including Sri Lanka for the support extended to Korea in the past. Now, the time has come for Korea to repay by joining the global efforts to assist developing countries, the Ambassador said.

Korea wishes to be a beacon of hope and a source of inspiration for Sri Lanka to reach the pinnacle of national development and prosperity, he stressed.

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1977, Korea and Sri Lanka have come a long way together to form a cordial bilateral partnership. Based on the mutual trust and respect both countries have built over the years, the friendship between two countries will grow from strength to strength in the years to come, the envoy further said.

Sri Lanka is not only one of Korea’s priority ODA cooperation partner countries, but also one of the top five countries that benefit from the Economic Development Cooperation Fund of Korea. The investment in various ODA projects and grants for Sri Lanka since 1987 is over 600 million USD. The Sri Lanka office of KOICA, which was established in Colombo in 1994 has assisted and funded commercial and infrastructure projects of Sri Lanka, thus augmenting the development of Sri Lanka, Jeong continued.

Korea has been promoting projects in the various fields such as education, transportation, water resources, sanitation and regional development in Sri Lanka. As a reliable friend, Korea is a trustworthy partner of Sri Lanka to meet the current needs of national development, he said.

Korea considers Sri Lanka as an important economic, trade and investment partner. In this context, Korea is extremely keen on boosting two-way trade and investment in ways which benefit the economies of both countries, he elaborated.

In particular, the ongoing labour cooperation also attests the close relations of both countries. Approximately 3,000 diligent Sri Lankan workers seek job opportunities annually, and around 23,000 Sri Lankan workers are presently employed in Korea, contributing to the economic advancement of both countries, the Ambassador added.

These workers transmitted as much as 520 million USD to Sri Lanka in 2019. The migrant workers bridge both countries in more ways than one, as they continue to promote favourable interests in Korea and raise awareness among the public even after they return to Sri Lanka. The expansion of migrant employment for Sri Lankans in Korea will result in furthering economic and commercial ties of both countries, he emphasized.