Greece–South Korea relations

Greek–South Korean relations are the foreign relations between Greece and South Korea. Greece has an embassy in Seoul and an honorary consulate in Daejeon. South Korea has an embassy in Athens.

History

Ancient/Medieval

The Byzantine historian Theophylact Simocatta mention the Mucri. Mucri were the Koreans and more precisely the Goguryeo.^[1]^[2]

Modern

Sohn Kee-chung's ancient Greek helmet

The Greek newspaper "Vradyni" (Βραδυνή) decided to give a 6th century B.C. corinthian helmet which was discovered in Ancient Olympia to the winner of the Marathon race of the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. The winner was the Korean runner Sohn Kee-chung. The helmet is now displayed at the National Museum of Korea and is the only Western artifact that has been recognised as a Treasure (#904) by the Korean government. Inside the helmet two metal labels have been added with the inscriptions:

"From the Athens daily newspaper "Vradini", to the winner of marathon in the XI Olympiad in Berlin 1936"

"Corinthian helmet discovered in Olympia, produced in the 6th century BC during the golden age of the Olympic Games"^[3]

After North Korea forces invaded the South Korea in 1950, starting the Korean War, Harry S. Truman compared the communist behaviour in Korea to that of the communists in Greece (see Greek Civil War) and said that "Korea is the Greece of the Far East".^[4] Greece sent an expeditionary force to help the South Koreans defend against the invasion. At that time, the small Orthodox community of Korea received support by Greek military chaplain ministers.

Then, Korean Orthodox faithful requested to come under the spiritual care of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in 1955 and the Ecumenical Patriarchate took the Korean Orthodox Church under its protection in 1956.

Both countries established diplomatic relations on April 15, 1961. South Korea opened its embassy in Athens on July 6, 1973. Greece opened its embassy in Seoul in October 1991. Greece also has an honorary consulate in Daejeon.

In the National Museum of Korea, there is an exhibition with ancient Greek and Roman artefacts.^[5]

List of bilateral visits

From South Korea to Greece

May 1995, Deputy Minister for Policy Planning and International Organizations Ban Ki-moon
May 2000, Speaker of the National Assembly Park Joon-kyu
October 2001, Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Yoo Sam-nam
August 2002, Minister for Trade Hwang Doo-yun
April 2004, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ban Ki-moon
August 2004, Minister of Culture and Tourism Jung Dong-chae
April 2006, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ban Ki-moon
September 2006, President Roh Moo-hyun
June 2007, Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Kang Moo-hyun
October 2007, Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Kang Moo-hyun

From Greece to South Korea

July 1987, Minister of Foreign Affairs Karolos Papoulias
November 1990, Prime of Ministers Konstantinos Mitsotakis
March 1998, Minister of the Mercantile Marine Stavros Soumakis
October 2000, Alternate Foreign Minister Elisavet Papazoi
February 2003, Alternate Foreign Minister Tasso Giannitsis
November 2004, Minister of Agricultural Development Evangelos Bassiakos
January 2005, Minister of Mercantile Marine Manolis Kefalogiannis
June 2007, Minister of Transportation and Communications Michalis Liapis

List of bilateral treaties

Education agreement (July 23, 1970)
Trade agreement (October 4, 1974)
Agreement on abolition of visa requirements (February 25, 1979)
Agreement on scientific and technological cooperation (May 16, 1994)
Aviation agreement (January 25, 1995)
Agreement on investment protection (January 25, 1995)
Agreement on avoidance of double taxation (March 20, 1995)

References

External links

[1] The History of Theophylact Simocatta - An English Translation with Introduction and Notes, Michael and Mary Whitby, p.224

[2] Theophylact’s Turkish Exkurs revisited, Etienne de la Vaissière, p. 115-126

[3] Bronze Helmet Donated by Son Kee chung

[4] U.S. Naval Institute, Truman Responds

[5] National Museum of Korea, Ancient Greece and Rome Gallery

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