South Korean Ambassador to Bangladesh Lee Jang-keun has said the golden jubilee of Bangladesh-South Korea relations next year will be a milestone year for the future of “friendship and partnership” between the two countries.

“Cherishing the close ties we have earnestly cultivated for the past five decades, we will renew our commitment to each other and take a bold step forward together for a closer, deeper, stronger and brighter future,” he said.

The envoy urged everyone to join hands and minds with him to make next year a real milestone in the Korea-Bangladesh friendship as the two countries are set to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties in 2023.

Ambassador Lee was speaking at a reception marking Korean National Day at a city hotel on Sunday evening.

Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Md. Imran Ahmed spoke as the chief gust at the event joined by ministers, political leaders, business leaders, diplomats and senior officials of the government.

The ambassador said Korea is a country with a long proud history that goes back more than four thousand years.

"Korea today is the 10th largest economy in the world and the 7th largest trading country. Korea is the first country in the world to have made the transition from a recipient of official development assistance (ODA) to a donor nation," he said.

Korea is currently the fifth largest FDI investor in Bangladesh. More than 70 percent of Korea’s investment is in the RMG sector, said the envoy.

While going beyond the RMG and diversification of areas of cooperation beyond the RMG is one of the most pressing challenges, he said.