South Korea and Sri Lanka have many common factors such as similar geographical location and historical experiences that have contributed to a deeper mutual understanding, Ambassador of South Korea to Sri Lanka, Santhush Woonjinin stated in a media release issued to mark the 44th anniversary of the setting up of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and South Korea.
“Based on this mutual understanding and trust, our two countries have been continuing to establish solid cooperation in various fields such as agriculture, fabrics, culture, automobile industry, labour cooperation and become key partners in the fields of economy, trade and investment, since the setting up of diplomatic relations in 1977.”
“In 2020, the volume of exports from Sri Lanka to Korea increased 10 percent from USD 100 million in 2019 to USD 110 million in 2020. This increase is an exceptional case amid the worldwide economic depression due to Covid-19 pandemic,” he stated.
He said that it is the right time for Sri Lanka to change and take a leap to a higher level, assuring that Korea will be with Sri Lanka as a reliable friend in this journey of achieving economic prosperity.
The Ambassador said the Korean Government recently decided to resume entry of new Sri Lankan workers and workers from other countries in the near future. “Over 22,000 Sri Lankan workers are employed in Korea, contributing to the economic advancement of both countries. They transmitted around $520 million to Sri Lanka in 2019.”
The Korean Government applies the rule of ‘Equal Pay for Equal Work’ to all workers, irrespective of their nationality.