South Korea and Kuwait highlighted more than four decades of ties at an event to mark Kuwait’s National Day on Thursday.
Kuwait’s National Day, which falls on Feb. 25, commemorates the day Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah became ruler of Kuwait in 1950. Al-Sabah signed a treaty securing Kuwait’s independence from Britain. Kuwait was a British protectorate until 1961.
In his remarks Ammar Maarafi, chargé d'affaires of the Kuwaiti Embassy in Seoul said that since 1979, Kuwait and South Korea have built a strong partnership based on trust and mutual benefit highlighting Korean companies' involvement in major infrastructure projects in Kuwait, including the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Causeway and Al-Zour Refinery.
Cooperation also extends to airport management, ports and new city developments, he said.
Kuwait is now seeking deeper collaboration in smart cities, digital technology, and AI, with its National AI Strategy 2025-2028 aiming to position the country as a regional innovation hub by 2028, Maarafi underscored.
"Korean culture is increasingly popular among young Kuwaitis — K-Pop, K-Drama, K-Food — and (the number of) Kuwaiti tourists to Korea has grown 13.8 percent from 2020 to 2025,” Maarafi added.
Meanwhile, Deputy Minister Chung Eui-hae highlighted the long-standing ties between the two countries, noting Korean workers’ contributions to Kuwait’s development in the 1970s and 1980s and Kuwait’s role as a key oil supplier to Korea.
She cited major joint infrastructure and health care projects as symbols of cooperation and said Korea was ready to expand partnership in investment, defense and sustainable development as Kuwait advances Vision 2035.
“Al-thiga kanz la yafna" she said, referring to an Arabic proverb — trust is a treasure that never fades — hoping for lasting progress and shared prosperity.
sanjaykumar@heraldcorp.com
