Ambassador of South Korea to Brunei Darussalam Kim Soung-eun, emphasised the strong bilateral friendship and cooperation between the Sultanate and South Korea, which has continued to grow year by year since they established diplomatic relations in 1984.
He said this during the reception for National Foundation of Korea at The Rizqun International Hotel yesterday hosted by the Korean Embassy.
The two countries have strengthened their friendship and partnership across various fields including infrastructure, education, tourism, people-to-people exchanges, and culture.
Representing the government of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam was Minister of Home Affairs Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Ahmaddin bin Haji Abdul Rahman.
The reception began with the national anthems of Brunei and South Korea.
Regarding education, a key focus of their bilateral cooperation, Korea opened the “Korea Corner” at Universiti Teknologi Brunei (UTB) this year. The Korea Corner not only contributes to the academic curriculum but also serves as a window into the Korean culture.
Student exchanges are actively promoted, with recent exchanges between young people from the two countries. The visits in June and September provided valuable opportunities for cultural learning, enhancing understanding and friendship.
The ambassador also noted the benefits received by Bruneian students from the Global Korea Scholarship, with over 1,000 exchange students exploring the Korean culture through programmes like Universiti Brunei Darussalam Discovery Year and UTB Experience Plus.
Currently, 40 Korean students are continuing their studies at Laksamana College of Business.
The event was enlivened by a performance by Knight (K-Night), an organisation dedicated to showcasing Korean performing arts and culture in the Sultanate.
Knight has been actively collaborating with the Korean Embassy since 2014, organising both public and private events. – Adib Noor
