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Relations between the Republic of Singapore and the Republic of Korea (South Korea) started when a trade mission from South Korea visited the Colony of Singapore in 1950. The two countries established formal diplomatic relations in 1975, but South Korea established a trade office and a consulate-general, and sent a special envoy to visit Singapore before that. Both countries are the only two United Nations members in the Four Asian Tigers. In 2014, South Korea was the fourth-largest import source of Singapore. [1]
The earliest contact between Singapore and South Korea was dated to April 1950, when South Korean trade delegation paid a 5-day visit to Singapore. [2] South Korea then established a Korea Trade Centre in Singapore in 1964. [3] After Singapore's independence in 1965, the two countries established a fishing venture in 1967. [4] In August 1969, Han Pyo-wook, the Ambassador of South Korea to Thailand, visited Singapore as the special envoy of Park Chung-hee, the President of South Korea, becoming the first official contact between the two countries. [5] During his visit, Han met S. Rajaratnam, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Singapore and handed a "special message" to Yusof Ishak, the President of Singapore. Some political observers believed that the visit of Han was a "counterbalance" to the visit of a North Korean special envoy team in the previous month. [5]
In 1971, South Korea and Singapore established consular relations by renaming the Korea Trade Centre to a consulate-general. [6] The two countries established formal diplomatic relations in 1975. In 1979, Lee Kuan Yew became the first Prime Minister of Singapore to visit South Korea. [7] The two countries started regular ministerial meetings in the same year. [8] In 1981, Chun Doo-hwan, the President of South Korea paid a state visit to Singapore, making him the first President of South Korea to do so. [9] In 2002, S. R. Nathan became the first President of Singapore to visit South Korea. [10]
In 2005, Lim Hng Kiang, the Minister for Trade and Industry of Singapore and Ban Ki-moon, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of South Korea signed the Korea-Singapore Free Trade Agreement. It was valid in 2006. [11]
When Lee Kuan Yew died in 2015, Park Geun-hye, then-President of South Korea, visited Singapore to attend his funeral.
Singapore and South Korea will celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations in 2025.
According to the data from The Observatory of Economic Complexity, the exported value from Singapore to South Korea increased between 1995 and 2014. It reached a peak of 12 billion US dollars in 2014. [12] Singapore mainly exported machines and chemical products to South Korea. [12] The proportion of refined oil in the exported value had increased since 2007. [12]
The exported value from South Korea to Singapore was between 4 billion and 6 billion US dollars from 1995 to 2003, and it started increasing since 2004. [13] It reached a peak of 26 billion US dollars in 2012. South Korea mainly exported machines and chemical products to Singapore. [13] The proportion of refined oil in the exported value had increased since 2003, [13] while the proportion of commercial vessels in the exported value had increased after that. [13]
The South Korean embassy donated a sculpture Conversation – From Nature in 2011 to the Singapore Botanic Gardens. The sculpture is an engraving of the two nations' national flowers – South Korea's Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) and Singapore's Vanda Miss Joaquim (Papilionanthe Miss Joaquim), which sprung from a common centre. This is intended to reflect the close friendship between the two countries, with the circular centre of the flowers representing not only the two countries' communications but also the conversations mankind has with nature. [14]
Lawrence Wong, Singapore's Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, visited South Korea twice in 2013 for the launch of the exhibition entitled “The Peranakan World: Cross-cultural Art from Singapore and the Straits” at the National Museum of Korea and attending the inaugural ROK-Southeast Asia Culture Ministers’ Meeting held in Gwangju, separately. [11]
On 12 November 2014, Singapore organized the first ASEAN K-pop Dance Cover Festival. [15]
Film Ajoomma is joint corporation of film industry between South Korea and Singapore and the film symbolises the Korean Wave in Singapore which was well popularised by My Too Perfect Sons, High Kick! and High Kick Through the Roof. It was nominated by 59th Best Leading Actress of Golden Horse Awards.
Singapore maintains diplomatic relations with 189 UN member states. The three exceptions are the Central African Republic, Monaco and South Sudan.
Lee Kuan Yew, often referred to by his initials LKY, was a Singaporean statesman, politician, and lawyer who served as the Minister Mentor between 2004 to 2011, Senior Minister between 1990 to 2004 and first prime minister of Singapore from 1959 to 1990. He served as the secretary-general of the People's Action Party (PAP) from 1954 to 1992 and was the member of Parliament (MP) for Tanjong Pagar from 1955 until his death in 2015. Lee is widely recognised as the founding father of the modern Singaporean state, and for his leadership in transforming it into a highly developed country during his tenure.
The People's Action Party (PAP) is a major conservative political party of the centre-right in Singapore. It is one of the three contemporary political parties represented in the Parliament of Singapore, alongside the opposition Workers' Party (WP) and the Progress Singapore Party (PSP).
Lee Hsien Loong is a Singaporean politician and former brigadier-general who has been a senior minister of Singapore since 2024, having previously served as the third prime minister of Singapore from 2004 to 2024. He was served as the secretary-general of the People's Action Party (PAP) since 2004 to 2024 and has been the member of Parliament (MP) for the Teck Ghee division of Ang Mo Kio GRC since 1991, and previously Teck Ghee SMC from 1984 and 1991.
Ong Teng Cheong was a Singaporean politician, architect, and union leader who served as the fifth president of Singapore from 1993 to 1999. He was the first directly elected president in Singapore's history. Born in the Straits Settlements, Ong was educated at the University of Adelaide and studied architecture. He later received a Colombo Plan scholarship and graduated from the University of Liverpool with a master's degree in urban planning.
Lim Yew Hock was a Singaporean-born Malaysian politician and diplomat who served as Chief Minister of Singapore between 1956 and 1959. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Cairnhill between 1959 and 1963 and previously a Member of the Legislative Council and later Legislative Assembly between 1948 and 1963. He was de facto Leader of the Opposition between 1959 and 1963. He and his family elected to take up Malaysian citizenship after Singapore's independence from Malaysia.
Sinnathamby Rajaratnam, better known as S. Rajaratnam, was a Singaporean statesman, journalist and diplomat who served as the first Minister for Foreign Affairs between 1965 and 1980, and 2nd Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore between 1980 and 1985.
Russia–Singapore relations are the bilateral foreign relations between the two countries, Russia and Singapore. Russia has an embassy in Singapore. Singapore has an embassy in Moscow. Both countries are full members of APEC. Due to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, relations became very tense after Singapore imposed sanctions against Russia. Russia placed Singapore on a list of "unfriendly countries" along with Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, the United States, European Union members, NATO members, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, Micronesia and Ukraine.
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Israel–Singapore relations refers to the bilateral relations between the State of Israel and the Republic of Singapore. Relations between the two countries have been extremely cordial and friendly for more than half a century.
Philippines–Singapore relations are bilateral relations between the Philippines and Singapore. The Philippines has an embassy in Singapore. Singapore likewise, has an embassy in Manila. Full diplomatic relations commenced on May 16, 1969, when the Philippine consulate-general in Singapore was raised to embassy level.
China–Singapore relations, also known as Chinese–Singaporean relations or Sino–Singaporean relations, are the bilateral relations between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Singapore. Singapore recognized the PRC in 1990. Diplomatic missions were established in the early 1990s based on trade and the warming of ties from other ASEAN countries towards mainland China.
France–Singapore relations refers to the bilateral relations between the French Republic and the Republic of Singapore.
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Singapore–Vietnam relations refer to the bilateral relations between the Republic of Singapore and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Singapore and Vietnam started the trade relations in the 19th century. Due to the anti-communist policy of Singapore, Singapore supported South Vietnam before the unification of Vietnam. Singapore also started formal diplomatic relations with North Vietnam on August 1, 1973. After the unification of Vietnam, Singapore started to improve its relations with the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Relations worsened during the Cambodian–Vietnamese War, but have improved once more after the People's Army of Vietnam withdrawal from Cambodia.
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