Seoul Ready to Expand Defence Cooperation With Dhaka

South Korea has welcomed Bangladesh’s interest in strengthening bilateral defence ties and expressed readiness to explore greater cooperation in mutually agreed areas, including training, capacity-building and UN peacekeeping.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir held separate meetings with South Korean First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Yoon-joo and Vice Minister of National Defense Lee Doo-hee in Seoul on Friday, discussing bilateral and regional issues with a focus on political, economic and defence cooperation.

The meetings reaffirmed the two countries’ commitment to further strengthening their longstanding partnership and expanding cooperation for mutual benefit, according to the Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs. South Korea’s Foreign Ministry separately said the talks covered bilateral relations, high-level exchanges, economic and development cooperation, employment and regional issues.

During his meeting with Park, Kobir conveyed Bangladesh’s readiness to work closely with the Korean government to deepen bilateral relations.

He also handed over an invitation from Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to South Korean President Lee Jae Myung to visit Bangladesh at a mutually convenient time.

Kobir praised South Korea’s transformation into a global economic and technological leader, saying its development experience continues to inspire Bangladesh.

He welcomed regular Foreign Office Consultations and other high-level exchanges between the two countries and reaffirmed Bangladesh’s support for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.

The state minister also welcomed progress on the Bangladesh-South Korea Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and expressed hope for its early formal signing.

He called for increased bilateral trade and investment, greater market access for Bangladeshi products and more Korean investment in sectors including semiconductors, electronics, shipbuilding, light engineering, high-end ready-made garments and ICT.

Kobir also highlighted opportunities in agriculture, agro-processing, logistics, digital transformation, skills development and services. He sought Korean support for expanding employment opportunities for Bangladeshi skilled and semi-skilled workers through the Employment Permit System.

He further sought enhanced Korean cooperation in climate resilience, infrastructure, human-resource development, technical and vocational education and digital technologies.

The state minister expressed appreciation for South Korea’s humanitarian assistance to the Rohingyas and sought continued support for their early, safe and sustainable repatriation to Myanmar.

During his meeting with Vice Minister Lee Doo-hee, Kobir discussed ways to further strengthen Bangladesh-South Korea defence cooperation, including training, capacity-building, UN peacekeeping and defence-industry cooperation.

Kobir appreciated South Korea’s support for training and capacity-building involving Bangladesh’s armed forces, police and civil defence personnel and requested expanded opportunities for specialised training.

He also encouraged South Korea to send military personnel to participate in specialised courses offered by the Bangladesh Armed Forces.

The state minister informed the Korean side that Bangladesh is in the process of establishing a defence industrial zone and invited Korean interest in exploring investment opportunities there, with the aim of promoting technology transfer, industrial cooperation and mutual economic benefits.

South Korea has also expressed interest in advancing cooperation in defence, defence industries and infrastructure as part of broader bilateral ties.