South Korea and Nz Relations
"New Zealand continues to stand with South Korea”. When New Zealand Prime Minister John Key says “stands with,” he is signifying the key element to the positive diplomatic relations between New Zealand and South Korea that have existed for fifty years: New Zealand standing ‘side by side’ with South Korea. He emphasises that New Zealanders do not stand higher than Koreans or over them as an insignificant racial group, but instead, he defines the fifty-year long diplomatic friendship as one of equality and unity, with mutual respect between Kiwis and Koreans.
Commerce has always been essential to maintaining the diplomatic alliance between New Zealand and its fifth largest trading partner, South Korea. New Zealand exports products such as dairy, beef, fruit and seafood, and imports cars, electronic goods and machinery from South Korea. Both countries have mutually benefited from this successful trading developed over the last five decades, with advantages to natives and foreigners in South Korea as well as New Zealand. The diplomatic relationship between these two countries, is no longer merely a window for safe trading, but is now considered a stable friendship whereby - according to South Korean Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister, Kwang-shik Choe - “peoples are freely travelling back and forth, becoming friends in the genuine sense.” The exchanges between Kiwis and Koreans across the Pacific Ocean have also been greatly expanded, allowing both countries to establish new campaigns such as student exchange and working holiday visas.
So, what now? How can we improve our relationship even further? As they say, communication is a “two-way street.” In order to maintain and advance the friendship between New Zealand and South Korea, both cultures need to be open-minded and welcoming. This can be accomplished in several ways, for example by integrating schools and commercialising Korean entertainment here in New Zealand. This integration is important because it will
Commerce has always been essential to maintaining the diplomatic alliance between New Zealand and its fifth largest trading partner, South Korea. New Zealand exports products such as dairy, beef, fruit and seafood, and imports cars, electronic goods and machinery from South Korea. Both countries have mutually benefited from this successful trading developed over the last five decades, with advantages to natives and foreigners in South Korea as well as New Zealand. The diplomatic relationship between these two countries, is no longer merely a window for safe trading, but is now considered a stable friendship whereby - according to South Korean Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister, Kwang-shik Choe - “peoples are freely travelling back and forth, becoming friends in the genuine sense.” The exchanges between Kiwis and Koreans across the Pacific Ocean have also been greatly expanded, allowing both countries to establish new campaigns such as student exchange and working holiday visas.
So, what now? How can we improve our relationship even further? As they say, communication is a “two-way street.” In order to maintain and advance the friendship between New Zealand and South Korea, both cultures need to be open-minded and welcoming. This can be accomplished in several ways, for example by integrating schools and commercialising Korean entertainment here in New Zealand. This integration is important because it will