The Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Canada, His Excellency Cho Hee-yong, is making an official visit to Prince Edward Island as part of his tour of the Atlantic provinces.
On Friday, after a courtesy visit to Government House, the ambassador met with cabinet ministers Allen Roach, George Webster, Ron MacKinley and Alan McIsaac to discuss trade and investment opportunities and student exchanges.
“We are indeed honoured to welcome the ambassador and his delegation, and there were very positive discussions on strengthening relationships between Korea and Prince Edward island,” said Premier Robert Ghiz. “Exports to Korea have increased significantly over the past five years, and we look forward to building on that momentum.”
Exports to Korea quadrupled from $3 million in 2008 to $12 million in 2012, mainly consisting of machinery and food products. New opportunities in areas such as bio science are being pursued.
The ambassador‘s visit also marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Canada, and the 60th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice. While in Charlottetown, he will honour Korean war veterans by laying a wreath at the War Memorial and present peace medals during a luncheon at the Royal Canadian Legion.
While in the province, Ambassador Cho also met with Korean students at the University of Prince Edward Island and delivered a public lecture on the past, present and future of bilateral relations between Korea and Canada.
He also met with members of the Korean-Canadian community in Prince Edward Island to discuss their role in further developing and enhancing bilateral relations in Atlantic Canada.