South Korean Ambassador to Bangladesh Jijoon Kim has said Bangladesh has huge potential in the manufacturing sector and can emerge as a regional production hub through a combination of its skilled workforce, supportive government policies and Korean technology.

He made the remarks on Wednesday during a press briefing after visiting Samsung’s manufacturing plant of Fair Electronics in Kamargaon area of Shibpur upazila in Narsingdi.

The ambassador expressed hope that such cooperation would further strengthen industrial partnership between Bangladesh and South Korea.

He said effective implementation and strict enforcement of the National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR) is crucial to protect the local mobile manufacturing industry, prevent tariff and revenue evasion, and ensure fair competition.

During the visit, Ambassador Kim reaffirmed South Korea’s continued support for Bangladesh’s industrial development and described Fair Electronics as a successful example of technology transfer, local production and industrial cooperation between the two countries.

He was accompanied by Samsung Bangladesh Managing Director Jangmin Jang.

Fair Group Chairman Ruhul Alam Al Mahbub, Director Mutassim Daiyan and senior officials of Fair Group and Samsung Bangladesh welcomed the ambassador.

Speaking at the event, Fair Group Chairman Ruhul Alam Al Mahbub said his company remains committed to strengthening Bangladesh’s manufacturing sector through global partnerships and technology transfer. He called for stronger measures against the grey market and unauthorised imports of mobile phones.

Samsung Bangladesh Managing Director Jangmin Jang reiterated Samsung’s long-term commitment to Bangladesh and said the company aims to expand local manufacturing while maintaining global standards through its partnership with Fair Electronics.

Fair Group Chief Marketing Officer Mohammad Mesbah Uddin highlighted the company’s journey from distribution to local manufacturing, saying Fair Group began its partnership with Samsung in 2014 and launched local production in 2017. In 2018, Fair Electronics introduced Bangladesh’s first locally manufactured Samsung smartphone, making Samsung the first global brand to produce smartphones locally in the country.

Senior officials from Samsung Bangladesh, Fair Group and the South Korean Embassy were also present at the briefing.