South Korea–Spain Relations
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South Korea–Spain relations are the bilateral and diplomatic relations between these two countries. Spain has an
embassy A diplomatic mission or foreign mission is a group of people from a state or organization present in another state to represent the sending state or organization officially in the receiving or host state. In practice, the phrase usually deno ...
in
Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...
. South Korea has an embassy in
Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
and a consulate general in
Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Relationships are good and friendly.


Diplomatic relations

The establishment of diplomatic relations between Spain and the Republic of Korea dates back to March 1950. In 2010, the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations was celebrated. Since the state visit of the king and queen in October 1996 and that of the President of the Government,
José María Aznar José María Alfredo Aznar López (; born 25 February 1953) is a Spanish politician who was the prime minister of Spain from 1996 to 2004. He led the People's Party (PP), the dominant centre-right political party in Spain. A member of the Fre ...
, in October 2000, followed by further exchanges. The State visit to Spain by the President Roh Moo-hyun, in February 2007, helped to consolidate the bilateral relationship between both countries, allowing the signing of instruments such as the Memorandum of Understanding of Political Dialogue or the Joint Declaration. The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation,
Miguel Ángel Moratinos Miguel Ángel Moratinos Cuyaubé (born 8 June 1951) is a Spanish diplomat and politician, a member of the Socialist Workers' Party and was a member of Congress from 2004 to 2011, where he represented Córdoba. Since 7 January 2019 he is the UN ...
, visited Korea on March 25 on 2009. During their visit, a Judicial Assistance Agreement in Criminal Matters and an Agreement on Protection of Classified Military Information were signed.
The President of the Republic of Korea, Moon Jae-In and Mrs.
Kim Jung-sook Kim Jung-sook ( ko, 김정숙; born 15 November 1954) is a South Korean Classical music, classical singer who served as first lady of South Korea from 2017 to 2022, as the wife of the 12th president of South Korea Moon Jae-in. Overview Kim' ...
, are on a State Visit to Spain on June 15 and 16.


Economic relations

The increase in trade relations between Spain and Korea is occurring unevenly, as trade imbalance steadily increases in favor of Korea. Spain's trade deficit with Korea amounted to 460 million ECU in 1997, while in 2005 it stood at 2,569 million
euros The euro (symbol: €; code: EUR) is the official currency of 19 out of the member states of the European Union (EU). This group of states is known as the eurozone or, officially, the euro area, and includes about 340 million citizens . T ...
. Part of this evolution is due to the increase in Korean exports since 1998, as a way of recovering from the 1997 crisis, since that year the Korean economy has depended on foreign markets for growth. In 2021, South Korea's exports to Spain stood at 3.08 billion US Dollars: automobiles accounted for the largest portion (29.5%). Spain's exports to South Korea stood at 2.31 billion US Dollars: pig meats for the largest portion (19.1%).


Resident diplomatic missions

* South Korea has an embassy in
Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
, a consulate-general in
Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
and the consulate in the
Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; es, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are west of Morocc ...
in Las Palmas. * Spain has an embassy in
Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...
.


See also

*
Foreign relations of South Korea South Korea maintains diplomatic relations with 191 countries. The country has also been a member of the United Nations since 1991, when it became a member state at the same time as North Korea. South Korea has also hosted major internation ...
*
Foreign relations of Spain The foreign relations of Spain could be constructed upon the foreign relations of the Hispanic Crown. The personal union of Castile and Aragon that ensued with the joint rule of the Catholic Monarchs was followed by the annexation of the Kingd ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:South Korea-Spain
Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...
Korea, South South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its east ...