The Republic of Korea recognized Bangladesh on May 12, 1972. Diplomatic relation between Bangladesh and the Republic of Korea was established on December 18, 1973. The Republic of Korea opened its resident diplomatic mission in Dhaka on March 1, 1975. Bangladesh opened its resident diplomatic mission in Seoul on February 16, 1987. The two countries celebrated the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2023.
After the diplomatic relationship was established in 1973, Bangladesh continued to enjoy warm, friendly and active bilateral relations with the Republic of Korea. Both countries share common values, democratic principles, ideals and goals and strive to achieve them nationally and internationally. The bilateral relationship witnesses increased cooperation in a wide range of areas including trade and commerce, investment, manpower, development assistance, education and human resource development, ICT, defense, and cultural exchanges. The trend of increased people-to-people contact continued with ever a greater number of Koreans visiting Bangladesh and a mentionable number of the private sector and government delegations coming to South Korea. Trade between the two countries continued to grow. Korean involvement in the development sector of Bangladesh continued to expand at a gradual pace. Korea continued to hold its position as a major foreign investor in Bangladesh. Labor market for Bangladeshi laborers continued to grow under the existing Employment Permit System. Cultural and educational exchanges between Bangladesh and South Korea continued to strengthen. Cooperation between the two countries at the multilateral level is satisfactory.
Exchange of Important High-Level Visits
At the invitation of the then President Lee Myung-bak, Hon’ble Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited the Republic of Korea on 16-18 May 2010. The summit meeting between the Hon’ble Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Korean President Lee Myung-bak on 18 May 2010 opened up a new horizon in the relationship between the two friendly countries. During the visit, 04 agreements and MOUs were signed to intensify cooperation in energy cooperation, cooperation on environmental cooperation, cultural exchange program, and EDCF loans.
From the Korean side, Prime Minister H.E. Lee-Nak-yon visited Bangladesh from 13-15 July 2019 which created momentum in the bilateral relationship.
Foreign Office Consultations (FOC)
With a view to further strengthen the political ties and to continue with regular exchange of dialogues, a standing mechanism of foreign office consultations (FOC) headed by the Foreign Secretary/Vice Minister has been in place since 2009. The 3rd Foreign Ministry Consultations between Bangladesh and the Republic of Korea was held in Dhaka on 31 March 2022.
