'Jordan-South Korea direct charter flights to take off in October'

AMMAN — Direct charter flights will be operated between South Korea and Jordan from October to enhance tourism cooperation, Seoul’s envoy to the Kingdom has said.

In an interview with the Jordan News Agency, Petra, that was published on Sunday, South Korean Ambassador to Jordan Lee Jae-wan said that about 30,000 Korean tourists visited the Kingdom last year, highlighting the efforts to increase this figure, especially that the number of outbound Korean tourists surpasses 30 million and the Kingdom enjoys security and stability along with its major touristic and historical landmarks.

Since the establishment of diplomatic ties between Jordan and South Korea in 1962, bilateral relations have been growing rapidly in various sectors, the envoy said, stressing on the coordination on issues of mutual interest. 

Touching on the Korean investments in Jordan, he said that his country considers the Kingdom as a hub for its business in the Levant, citing the Korean Electric Power Corporation, the fourth-largest electric power company in the world, which invested $1.25 billion and built two natural gas power plants in Al Manakher and Al Qatrana areas, along with Samsung and LG electronics. 

He noted that trade volume between the two sides amounted to around $580 million last year, adding that an increase is expected this year following the reopening of the Jordanian-Iraqi borders and resuming stability in Baghdad.

During the interview held at the Korean embassy in Amman, talks went over Korean support offered to the Kingdom, which is estimated at $417 million since 1990 to support education, health and water sectors as well as governance.

Appreciating the Kingdom's role in receiving the Syrian refugees, the diplomat noted the Korea International Cooperation Agency's (KOICA) launch of three new schools in Irbid, Mafraq and Zarqa to support the Kingdom’s educational needs.

Since 1991, KOICA has provided the Kingdom with $166 million to meet its needs in various vital sectors, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The envoy stressed on South Korea’s transition from an aid-dependent country to a donor, thanks to development strategies the country had implemented. The ambassador urged Jordan to draw on the Korean experience, appreciating the Kingdom’s strategy to invest in human capital.

South Korea's GDP shot up from $40.9 million in 1953 to $1.6 trillion in 2018, he noted, highlighting that in 2010 Seoul became the 24th member of the international donors club, Petra added.