South Korean Ambassador to Bangladesh Lee Jang-keun has said Bangladesh and South Korea will celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties together next year and will head for a brighter future making the anniversary a milestone year for relations bettween the two countries.

“I have many plans and ideas to make it happen. But it requires support and participation of all important stakeholders,” he said while speaking at KOICA Alumni Night-2022 at a hotel in Dhaka on Thursday.

Though the two countries have enjoyed close and strong ties, the ambassador said, there still is huge untapped potential.

“Our relations can surpass the level of Korea’s relations with other regional partner countries such as Vietnam and India, the third and eighth major trading partners of Korea,” he said.

The ambassador said KOICA Bangladesh Alumni Association (KBAA) can be and should be the leading agent and facilitator in their joint efforts for untapping potentials.

This year, the Korean government decided to significantly increase the amount of the Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) funding to Bangladesh, from US$ 0.7 billion to US$ 3 billion over the next five years.

Read more: Dhaka, Seoul to work together for their prosperity

Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) in collaboration with KOICA Bangladesh Alumni Association (KBAA) hosted the grand annual event known as “KOICA Alumni Night” strengthening friendly ties between Bangladesh and South Korea.

State Minister for ICT Division Zunaid Ahmed Palak spoke as the chief guest.

Nasima Begum, Member (Secretary), Planning Commission and President, KBAA, A.B.M. Amin Ullah Nuri, Secretary, Road Transport and Highways Division, Young-Ah Doh, Country Director, KOICA Bangladesh Office and Shahriar Kader Siddiky, Additional Secretary, Wing Chief (Asia, JEC and F&F), Economic Relations Division also spoke.

Speaking on the occasion, Palak emphasized on KOICA's continued support in the ICT sector and making it a priority sector which remarkably contributed in building Digital Bangladesh.

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KOICA’s Country Director highlighted KOICA’s projects achievements under bilateral, multilateral, NGO and Public Private Partnership programmes aligned with its priority sectors of education and skill development, transportation, public health and ICT.

She stressed how the annual gathering is an opportunistic one, whereby everlasting relations are enhanced between both the governments of Korea and Bangladesh.

The event featured Korea’s renowned K-Pop performance by the winner of K-POP World Festival Bangladesh 2022 from the only Korean cultural community in Bangladesh and presentations on the yearly activities carried out under KBAA and knowledge sharing sessions on hands-on Korean experience regarding KOICA’s Master’s Degree Scholarship Program.

Nasima Begum highlighted KOICA’s role in the significant development in Bangladesh’s relentless efforts to develop and how both the countries’ friendship has stood the test of time.