Country Lecture on "All about Korea and Korea-Bangladesh Relation" on 07 November 2013

The Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) organised an Institute's Country Lecture Series titled "All About Korea and Korea–Bangladesh Relations" on 07 November 2013 at the BIISS Auditorium.

The lecture was delivered by H. E. Mr Lee Yun-young, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Bangladesh, as the Guest Speaker. The programme brought together senior government officials, members of the diplomatic corps, policymakers, academics, researchers, military officials, representatives of think tanks, development partner organisations, media professionals, and students to discuss the Republic of Korea's development experience, its foreign policy, and the growing partnership between Bangladesh and the Republic of Korea.

In his lecture, Ambassador Lee Yun-young presented an overview of Korea's remarkable socio-economic transformation, highlighting the country's journey from post-war reconstruction to becoming one of the world's leading industrialised and technologically advanced economies. He discussed the key drivers of Korea's development, including investments in education, innovation, industrialisation, export-led growth, technological advancement, and effective governance.

The Guest Speaker also elaborated on the expanding bilateral relations between Bangladesh and the Republic of Korea, emphasising cooperation in trade and investment, manufacturing, infrastructure, education, information and communication technology, cultural exchanges, and human resource development. He noted that Bangladesh has become an important destination for Korean investment, particularly in the ready-made garments (RMG), electronics, and manufacturing sectors, while expressing optimism about further expanding economic and technological cooperation.

The lecture highlighted opportunities for strengthening collaboration in emerging areas such as digital transformation, smart technologies, renewable energy, climate resilience, vocational education, and people-to-people exchanges. Ambassador Lee emphasised that closer economic engagement and enhanced diplomatic cooperation would contribute to sustainable development and shared prosperity for both countries.

Participants actively engaged in the interactive discussion session, sharing valuable questions, comments, suggestions, and observations on Korea's development model, regional security, economic cooperation, and the future prospects of Bangladesh–Republic of Korea relations. The discussion underscored the importance of learning from Korea's development experience while exploring new avenues for bilateral collaboration.

The programme concluded with a reaffirmation of the longstanding friendship between Bangladesh and the Republic of Korea and their shared commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation through increased trade and investment, technological collaboration, educational exchanges, and strategic dialogue. The event further reinforced BIISS's role in promoting informed discussions on international affairs and enhancing understanding of Bangladesh's relations with key global partners.