Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung spoke by phone, exchanging greetings on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties between the two nations.
According to a presidential statement, President Lee expressed his appreciation to President El-Sisi for receiving his special envoy in September 2025, describing the meeting as productive and yielding tangible results.
President El-Sisi congratulated Lee once again on his election as president and invited him to visit Egypt at the earliest opportunity to explore ways of strengthening bilateral cooperation and advancing relations across various fields.
The two leaders underscored the importance of fostering a global approach to peace and commended ongoing efforts in this regard, both in the Middle East and on the Korean Peninsula.
The conversation covered ways to expand bilateral cooperation, with El-Sisi encouraging greater South Korean investment in Egypt, particularly in artificial intelligence, information technology and communications, shipbuilding, and the automotive industry.
The talks further touched on prospects for cooperation in education and higher education, including plans to establish a Korean university in Egypt.
President Lee noted that Egypt was the first country to host a Korean cultural center and said two additional centers would soon be inaugurated in Cairo to promote Korean culture.
Diplomatic relations between South Korea and Egypt were established on 13 April 1995, but consular relations go back to 1962.
Bilateral trade between the two nations has now surpassed $1.6 billion, according to Korean officials.
South Korea’s cumulative investment in Egypt stood at $930 million in 2024. Additionally, 171 Korean companies are registered with Egypt’s General Authority for Investment (GAFI).
Egypt is also South Korea’s only ODA (official development assistance) priority partner in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, with a total ODA volume of $350 million, including $100 million in grants and about $250 million through the Economic Development Cooperation Fund.
There are also about 1,500 Egyptian students in Korea and around 1,000 Korean nationals residing in Egypt.
Academic and cultural cooperation include programs between Egyptian and Korean institutions.
Source: Al-Ahram Online
