Malaysia in Korea

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Korea first established diplomatic relations with Malaysia in February 1960. The Malaysian Embassy in Korea was built in May 1962 and the Korean Embassy was built in Malaysia in April 1964. Many Korean officials have visited Malaysia over the years including former Korean President Kim Young-sam in 1996, Prime Minister Goh Kun in 1997, former Korean President Kim Dae-jung in 1998 and current President Lee in December 2005. Malaysian officials have also visited Korea including Prime Minister Mahathir in 1993 and 2000, Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in 1996, Minister of Foreign Affairs Syed Hamid Albar in 1999, Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah in 2001 and Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in 2004.

The diplomatic partnership between Korea and Malaysia is strengthening by the day. The two nations celebrated the 53th anniversary of diplomatic ties this year.

The Seoul meeting between Korean President Lee Myung-bak and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak in April 2010 helped strengthen economic ties between the two countries. In a joint statement issued after the meeting, both leaders agreed to work toward exchanges of minister-level government officials and upgrade defense cooperation. Lee and Najib also agreed to establish a Korea-Malaysia business association to discuss advancing partnership between state-funded corporations in order to deepen trade and economic exchanges between the two nations.

The Korean presidential office, Cheong Wa Dae or the Blue House, seemed optimistic about the likelihood of signing a free trade agreement with Malaysia in the near future. “Korea has already signed a free trade agreement with ASEAN member countries, which has strengthened economic and trade relations between the two countries,” a Blue House spokesman said. “A separate FTA with Malaysia will progress economic and trade relations between both countries.”

In that April 2010 meeting, Korea and Malaysia agreed to cooperate in a variety of sectors, including green industries like biofuels and nuclear energy, IT, communication, transportation and energy, including the joint development of oil and gas exploration and production.

President Lee’s efforts to strengthen ties with major Asian countries including Malaysia and Indonesia are part of a new diplomatic policy called the “New Asia Initiative.” First launched in 2009, in President Lee’s second year in office, the initiative represents a shift in South Korea’s foreign policy focus from the big four — the United States, China, Japan and Russia — to other Asian countries. The New Asia Initiative seeks to conclude free trade agreements and expand economic relations with all nations in Asia, play a leading role in global issues including climate change, establish economic cooperation policies tailored to each Asian country, and increase Korea’s role and contributions to Asia.

One of the main countries President Lee Myungbak is focusing on with his New Asia Initiative is Malaysia. Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad led Malaysia’s Look East Policy in the 1980s, and the policy helped Malaysia become one of the fastest growing and most industrial countries in the world. President Lee has said he admires the rapid advancements Malaysia has made under the policy, and Lee’s New Asia Initiative is partially inspired by the Look East Policy.

For more details and information about Embassy Malaysia in Seoul, please visithttp://www.kln.gov.my/web/kor_seoul/home