Opening Remarks
The 7th Korea-Singapore Forum

Thursday, April 17, 2025
Park Royal Collection Hotel, Singapore
Amb. Gheewhan Kim, President, The Korea Foundation

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.

I am Gheewhan KIM, President of the Korea Foundation. It is my great pleasure to welcome you all to the seventh Korea-Singapore Forum, especially as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Singapore this year.

I want to extend my most sincere gratitude and greetings to:

H.E. Ambassador Ong Keng Yong, (옹 켕 용)
Deputy Secretary Kevin Cheok, (케빈 척)
H.E. Ambassador Hong Jin-wook,

Honorable Members of the Parliament of Singapore,

and the members of the delegations present today.

(ROK-Singapore Relations)
Since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1975, Korea and Singapore have been growing a strong partnership based on mutual respect and trust.

Today, we are not only close bilateral partners, but also strategic collaborators in the Indo-Pacific region. At the bilateral Summit in October 2024, Korea and Singapore agreed to elevate our relations to a strategic partnership.

We work together to uphold and advance common values and core interests, such as liberal democracy, human rights, peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and the rules-based international order.

(KF Programs in Singapore)
Since 1991, the Korea Foundation has been supporting a range of programs that promote Korean studies at the Universities, Korea exhibitions at the Museums and galleries, and provide policy research grants to the think tanks. We support Korea Chairs and Korea Fellows. We invite senior leaders as well as youth leaders in diverse professions and institutions.
The Nanyang Technological University is a great partner of the Korea Foundation and an important Korean studies hub in Singapore and across ASEAN, that promoting collaboration and exchanges in STEM and Art, encouraging public-private-academic partnership.

NTU is also an important partner to and the venue for KF Global Fellows Asia program this year.

The Korea Foundation will continue to bring new initiatives and programs with Singapore that will lead into the next 50 years.

Today’s Forum is very timely and relevant to the current global resetting in security, economic and trade affairs. I look forward to very productive discussions today.

In closing, I want to say my sincere gratitude to RSIS and the staff for their excellent work in preparing this timely, professional forum.

Thank you.