Bangladesh marks 54th Independence Day in Seoul
The Bangladesh Embassy in Seoul commemorated the country's 54th Independence Day on Monday, honoring Bangladesh's struggle for freedom and celebrating enduring bilateral ties with South Korea.
The event served as a solemn reminder of Bangladesh's nine-month Liberation War in 1971 and the sacrifices made by its people.
Delivering remarks at the celebration, Tarazul Islam, charge d'affaires at the Bangladesh Embassy, paid homage to the valiant freedom fighters and martyrs of the war, as well as those who lost their lives in the July 2024 protests against discrimination.
'The people of Bangladesh have long strived for an independent and prosperous country, free from discrimination, subjugation and injustice,' said Islam.
He highlighted Bangladesh's transformation into one of the world's fastest-growing economies, driven by robust growth, social advancement and a dynamic workforce.
'Persistent, robust economic growth and remarkable progress in various social sectors have led to significant improvements in people's overall living standards,' according to Islam.
Islam also underscored the expanding Bangladesh-Korea partnership, noting that bilateral trade has surpassed $3 billion and that Korean companies are active investors in Bangladesh's infrastructure and manufacturing sectors.
'Korean companies are producing automobiles, home appliances and many other goods in Bangladesh,' he said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Minister for Multilateral and Global Affairs at South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Kweon Ki-hwan reaffirmed Korea's commitment to Bangladesh, highlighting decades of cooperation dating to 1973 in politics, economy and people-to-people exchanges.
'We both endured painful colonial rule but preserved our unique languages and cultures, and this made it possible for our people to unite and fiercely defend our identities,' said Kweon, drawing parallels between the two nations' histories.
'From the early days of Bangladesh's garment industry, Korea has worked closely with Bangladesh,' he said, referencing the landmark partnership between Desh Garments and Daewoo Corp. in 1979 that laid the foundation for the country's garment sector.
'Currently, more than 13,000 Bangladeshi workers are actively contributing to Korea's manufacturing, agriculture, livestock and construction sectors through the Employment Permit System,' underlined Kweon.
Korea introduced the work permit system in 2004 to systematically manage the foreign workforce in Korea and resolve labor shortages at local small and medium-sized companies.
The program will allow up to 130,000 foreign workers in 2025, involving 17 partner countries, permitting E-9 visa holders to work in the manufacturing and construction sectors.
'They (Bangladeshi workers) have become valued members of Korea's workforce and an integral part of our industries,' said Kweon.
sanjaykumar@heraldcorp.com
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Korea Herald
3 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Zyx Technology, Seoul National University sign MOU to support landscape design education
Zyx Technology, a Korean AI digital design platform company, signed a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional System Engineering at Seoul National University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences on June 10. The signing ceremony was held at the university's Seoul campus, with Vice Dean Heo Jin-hoe of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Zyx Technology Chairman Choi Jong-bok, and other key officials. As part of the agreement, Zyx Technology will donate 150 educational licenses per year of its flagship computer-aided design software, ZyxCAD, for three years. The software will be used to support coursework and research in landscape design, with the goal of enhancing practical design training for students. ZyxCAD is a general-purpose CAD program developed in Korea and listed in the national e-procurement system. It offers high compatibility with AutoCAD — supporting similar commands, shortcuts, file formats and LISP scripts — and features an intuitive interface with multi-CPU-based high-speed processing. The software also includes 'Works,' a utility suite with around 450 tools that streamline repetitive tasks and support complex design workflows. 'This collaboration with Seoul National University will be remembered as a meaningful case where Korea's top educational institution and domestic design software come together beyond the level of a single department,' said Zyx Technology Chairman Choi Jong-bok. 'We hope ZyxCAD will provide practical benefits to the department's advanced design education environment.' Vice Dean Heo Jin-hoe said ZyxCAD will enhance hands-on learning and serve as a model for industrial-academic collaboration.
Korea Herald
3 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Anti-North Korea leaflet launches will end if Lee meets us, say abductee families
A South Korean civic group representing families of abductees held in North Korea said it would halt the distribution of anti-Pyongyang leaflets if President Lee Jae-myung takes steps to confirm the abductees' survival and meets with their families. Choi Sung-ryong, head of the Association of the Families of Those Abducted by North Korea, held a news conference on Monday in front of the government complex in Seoul, as the Lee administration cracks down on the sending of anti-North Korean propaganda leaflets across the inter-Korean border. Choi warned that the group would resume sending anti-North Korea leaflets — detailing information about South Koreans abducted after the 1950-53 Korean War — either by balloon or even using drones. The leaflets also include the phrase, "If only Kim Jong-un disappears, our abductees will return.' Choi called on President Lee to meet with the families of the abductees — including Kim Tae-ok, the mother of Lee Min-gyo, who was abducted by North Korea in August 1977, and Kim Sun-rye, the mother of Hong Geon-pyo, who was abducted in August 1978. Both abductees were students at the time. 'If President Lee Jae-myung meets with the two mothers of the students abducted to North Korea and offers them words of comfort, I will stop sending leaflets,' Choi said. 'And not just leaflets. I will also stop other acts of hostility toward North Korea. I ask once again.' The Association of the Families of Those Abducted by North Korea dispersed leaflets on April 27, as well as in May and on June 2, despite repeated requests from the Unification Ministry to exercise restraint. On June 9, the Unification Ministry publicly expressed regret over the group's launch of anti-North Korea leaflets and 'strongly urged' an end to such actions, signaling a shift in stance on the issue under President Lee Jae-myung's administration. Choi underscored that 'our request is simply to verify whether our loved ones are alive through inter-Korean dialogue — and yet the authorities treat us like criminals.' 'Dialogue between the two Koreas needs to happen first. And when it does, we're not even asking for their return right away — we're just saying, let's start by confirming whether they're alive,' Choi said. Choi challenged the rationale behind the Lee administration's decision to ban anti-North Korea propaganda leaflets, which had previously been deemed legal by the courts. 'I won both the first and second trials. The Constitutional Court ruled that this is a matter of freedom of expression. But such rulings have been completely ignored,' Choi told reporters. The Constitutional Court ruled the anti-leaflet law unconstitutional in September 2023, nullifying a provision in the Inter-Korean Relations Development Act that banned such activity. In March 2025, the Seoul High Court also rejected an injunction seeking to halt leaflet campaigns by North Korean activist groups, including one representing families of abductees. In response, the Unification Ministry in Seoul on Monday said the ministry will 'give full consideration to the voices of the families of abductees by North Korea.' 'The Unification Ministry will make its utmost efforts to create conditions for resolving the issue, including the resumption of inter-Korean dialogue,' Koo Byoung-sam, the ministry's spokesperson, said during a televised briefing Koo concurrently admitted that Seoul 'has not previously raised such a matter through the inter-Korean Red Cross channel,' referring to the main communication channel between the two Koreas for discussing humanitarian issues, including the reunions of separated families. However, Koo said the government's 'request to halt leaflet launches does not violate the Constitutional Court's decision, considering the management of the Korean Peninsula situation and the lives and safety of the people.' The South Korean government held an interagency meeting at 10 a.m. on Monday at the government complex in Seoul to discuss the establishment of a comprehensive, pan-government response regarding anti-North Korean leaflet distribution, including preventive measures and punitive measures as instructed by the President, according to the Unification Ministry. The meeting, presided over by Deputy Minister for Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs at the Unification Ministry Kang Jong-suk, was attended by working-level officials from the Prime Minister's Office; the National Intelligence Service; the Ministry of the Interior and Safety; the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport; and the National Police Agency. The meeting was held at the order of Lee after an unidentified civic group launched anti-North Korea leaflets on Ganghwa Island early Saturday morning.
Korea Herald
4 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Defense stocks soar on Israel-Iran tension
Shares of South Korean arms makers rose sharply after Israel's attack on Iran, buoyed by the outlook that their exports could increase. Hanwha Systems, a major defense affiliate of Hanwha Group, traded at 63,800 won ($47) as of 2 p.m., up 17.46 percent from the previous session. Earlier in the day, the stock surged as high as 65,000 won, hitting the highest level since its listing on the Kospi in November 2019. Other major defense stocks also showed strong performances, with LIG Nex1 rising 4.75 percent, Hyundai Rotem gaining 5.3 percent, and Hanwha Aerospace climbing 2.33 percent as of 2 p.m. Shares of each of the companies posted a fresh high during intraday trading. Amid escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, expectations are rising for increased exports by Korean defense companies partly due to their rivalry with Israeli firms in the arms sector. Israel may impose restrictions on defense exports to maintain its military capabilities, potentially allowing Korean firms to emerge as alternative suppliers. "In the past, Israel suspended a shipment of Merkava tanks to Morocco during a conflict with Hamas militants. With Israel likely to prioritize securing its domestic stock of air defense systems and strategic assets, a similar scenario could unfold. This could present short-term export opportunities for Korean defense companies," said Jung Dong-ik, an analyst at KB Securities. Despite concerns that Middle East tensions could pressure on the Korean stock market due to geopolitical risks to the country's export-dependent economy, the benchmark Kospi had remained largely flat on Monday as of press time. After opening at 2,903.50, it dropped as low as 2,886.13 in the early hours, but recovered to an intraday high of 2,926.89, up 1.11 percent on-session as of 2 p.m. Retail investors were the only net buyers, scooping up shares worth 224.6 billion won, while foreign investors and institutions dumped 224 billion won and 7.3 billion won, respectively. In the morning, the government held a joint emergency meeting, agreeing to maintain a 24-hour monitoring system on the financial markets. "If market volatility becomes excessive and diverges from the fundamentals of the Korean economy, the government will take swift and bold action under its contingency plans,' a statement released by the Finance Ministry said.
