Seoul expects Tehran’s role in resolving N. Korean nuclear issue

While Iran is a regional power in the Middle East as a Shi'ite leader, its relationship with South Korea has not always been smooth. The South Korean government expects President Park Geun-hye visit to Iran on Sunday will upgrade bilateral ties in the 54th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

South Korea and Iran established diplomatic relations on October 23, 1962. In the 1970s, some 20,000 South Korean workers worked at construction sites in Iran. In 1977, Seoul named a boulevard “Tehran Street,” while Tehran named a road after Seoul as a symbol of bilateral ties.

As Iran got close to North Korea following the Islamic Revolution of 1979, however, the Seoul-Tehran ties were downgraded to the charge d'affaires level. They slowly restored the ties since the 2000s. The Iran nuclear deal of July last year created an environment in which Seoul and Tehran could further improve their relationship.

Kim Kyou-hyun, senior presidential secretary for foreign affairs, recently told a news briefing that President Park’s upcoming trip to Tehran is expected to “serve as an occasion to take a new leap forward on bilateral ties, which have been stalled due to the international sanctions.” A key official at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said Friday that the upcoming visit is also “very important” not only in terms of economy but also in diplomacy over North Korea’s nuclear issue.

Cheong Wa Dae views that Iran’s choice of international cooperation over nuclear development could become a model for resolving Pyongyang’s nuclear issue. At a foreign policy briefing session in January, President Park cited Iran as a “model case,” saying that Seoul should take effective measures to induce Pyongyang to come out to the international community as Iran did.

A presidential aide said that Seoul could learn from Iran’s experiences in the cessation of its nuclear development, expressing expectation that Seoul’s message to Pyongyang would be conveyed through Iran, which maintains its exchanges with the North.

장택동 기자will71@donga.com