South Korea opens consulate in KK

KOTA KINABALU: Bilateral relations between Sabah and South Korea will be strengthened following the establishment of the Republic of Korea Consulate here.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said Malaysia and South Korea have had more than six decades of diplomatic relations.

“Since then, we have made much progress in exchanges and cooperation in many fields,” he said at the official opening of the consulate on Tuesday (Sept 26).

Hajiji said South Korea was Malaysia’s eighth-largest trading partner and eighth-largest export destination last year, adding that Sabah’s trade exports to South Korea were at RM4bil and that Sabah’s imports from South Korea were at RM900mil last year.

“The crowning jewel of this is, of course, South Korea’s RM4.2bil SK Nexilis copper foil manufacturing project, one of Sabah’s largest foreign investments,” he said.

Hajij added that Sabah is open for business and would like to see more investors coming to establish win-win business deals and partnerships.

“Our tourism is growing strong, and South Koreans are a major contributor, with arrivals recorded at 95,966 (an increase of 2,7%) from January to June 2023.

“As of September 2023, Sabah is connected with Incheon and Busan in South Korea with 23 flights and 4,409 seat capacity weekly,” he said.

Hajiji said the strong growth showing overall visitor arrivals to Sabah registered at 1.2 million in the first half of the year, generating RM2.45bil in revenue.

“We acknowledge the special role the consulate will play in promoting bilateral relations and serving as a bridge to make connections. Together, we can achieve new heights and contribute to the prosperity of both Sabah and the Republic of Korea,” he added.

Hajiji also said a revised Sabah Malaysia My Second Home (SMM2H) programme would soon be tabled at the State Legislative Assembly.

“The influx of talent and expertise will benefit us. We hope to see more high-value talents moving to Sabah,” he said, adding the state is now home to approximately 2,000 South Koreans.

Also present at the official opening of the consulate were Deputy Chief Ministers Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam, Datuk Shahelmy Yahya, Cabinet Ministers, South Korean Ambassador to Malaysia, Yeo Seung-Bae and senior embassy officials.