Korea-Pakistan Friendship Association (KPFA)

There is a long history of links between Pakistan and Korea, even though official diplomatic relations were not established until 1983.

Oh Jae-hee was posted to the Korean consulate in Pakistan as council general to upgrade the relationship between the two countries in 1982. After a year of hard work, he successfully set up the Korean Embassy there and became the first Korean ambassador to Pakistan.

Oh said this is not really a new initiative, pointing out that a Korea-Pakistan Friendship Association was first set up in 1970 by Sanguine You, former president of Myongji University. Unfortunately, the association became inactive and disappeared after Sanguine You died in 1989. The idea of reactivating the association was initiated by Ambassador Khalid Masud in 2007 ( who is currently serving in Malaysia), who was first assigned to Seoul as a junior diplomat in the 1980s.

According to Oh, the association will promote cultural exchanges between Korea and Pakistan, helping students achieve scholarships to study in Pakistan, and vice versa. On its agenda there are also exhibitions, conferences, seminars and performances. The association will also publish a newsletter for members to know more about Pakistan and publish business news to attract the business community.

The association include members from the Korea Mountaineer Association. Pakistan is home to the second-highest mountain in the world, K-2.

At the time of the Korean War, Pakistan supported resolutions on Korea in the United Nations General Assembly. Pakistan also became a member of the U.N. Commission on Korea. Pakistan donated 5,000 tons of wheat to Korea during that period.

Korea's first five-year economic plan was altered and guided by Mahbub ul Haq, a Pakistani economist who was working at the World Bank at that time.

In modern times, there are about 26 or 27 bilateral agreements and treaties between the two countries covering various areas.

Pakistan's exports to Korea exceeded $340 million, and Korea's exports to Pakistan reached more than $673 million. Pakistani community in Korea numbers between 11,000 to 20,000, while the Korean community in Pakistan is currently estimated at about 400 people.

The association's members hail from various areas that have links with Pakistan, including former Korean diplomats, Korean and Pakistani businessmen, and people from academic, cultural and media fields.

credits@shirley han