Ambassador (R) Masood Khalid provided a compelling context for South Korea-Pakistan relations, noting that the Asia-Pacific economy is “twice the size of the US economy, six times that of Europe, and 14 times that of Africa.” He underscored the need to address the significant trade imbalance, currently favoring South Korea, and emphasized South Korea’s growing demand for skilled labor: “We should focus on upskilling; we have been sending unskilled manpower to the Middle East.” He highlighted that Pakistan could learn valuable lessons from South Korea’s export-oriented economic upliftment strategy and its successful “One Village, One Product” rural development program.

He cited the overwhelming support from the South Korean people following the 2005 earthquake in Pakistan as evidence of the strong underlying relationship. He also pointed to Daewoo’s contribution to building motorways in Pakistan as a prime example of successful past collaboration. He stressed tourism, particularly attracting those with an interest in Gandhara culture. Ambassador Khalid provided a detailed historical overview of South Korea’s economic rise, the ‘Miracle of the Han River,’ revealing that in the 1960s, both South Korean and Chinese teams came to Pakistan to study its five-year development plans.

Ambassador Khalid also related his experience with Australian think tanks. He noted a significant lack of interaction between Pakistani and Australian think tanks, despite the friendly atmosphere, and urged greater engagement, pointing out the existence of dysfunctional old MOUs.

Dr. Bilal Zubair (CISS) added a soft power dimension, suggesting cultural exchanges in sports, music, and e-games. Dr. Zubair specifically pointed out that Korean Taekwondo is very popular in Pakistan and mentioned the popularity of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s music in South Korea.

Kim Janghoon, a South Korean student at Bahria University, provided a crucial on-the-ground perspective, detailing specific challenges he faced in Pakistan. He cited the prohibitively high import tax on cosmetics, which hindered his business aspirations. He also highlighted the difficulty Pakistani students face in obtaining South Korean scholarships due to a lack of awareness about Pakistan in South Korea. He positioned himself as a bridge-builder, stating his desire to help Koreans understand Pakistan, emphasizing his Urdu language skills and residency in Rawalpindi. He emphasized Pakistan’s potential particularly its youth: “Pakistani people…Pakistan has a lot of potential, especially due to large number of youth”.

The event concluded with a Q&A session. Dr. Gulshan Rafiq, in her closing remarks, reiterated the importance of focusing on areas of mutual interest, promoting private sector engagement, and fostering
think tank collaborations.