‘We must not allow North Korea to threaten anyone with the use of nuclear weapons,’ Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó on his Facebook page on Wednesday.
In the post, the minister informed that he had a phone conversation with the South Korean Foreign Minister Park Joo, in which they discussed not only issues of bilateral cooperation but also the significant challenges facing international security.
‘The global security situation has never been in such a bad shape since the Second World War: there are too many armed conflicts occurring worldwide, which pose a threat not only locally but also to their entire region,’ emphasized the minister. He added that the Korean Peninsula is such an area, being important not only for Koreans but for the whole world. During the phone call, the two ministers reaffirmed their agreement that
North Korea must not be allowed to threaten anyone with the use of nuclear weapons,
and, to this end, Hungary will continue to speak up at international forums.
Szijjártó stated that bilateral economic cooperation is one of the guarantees that the Hungarian economy can remain on a growth trajectory, noting that trade between the two countries has increased by 70 per cent this year. Korean companies are among the top five investor communities in Hungary who are satisfied with the domestic investment environment, and they continue to make decisions on further developments, capacity expansion, and job creation, the minister concluded in his post.
A few days ago, suggestions about the possibility of North Korea providing weapons to Russia emerged in the press. According to a report by The Independent, ‘A surge in rail activity along the North Korea–Russia border strongly indicates Kim Jong Un’s potential assistance to Russian President Vladimir Putin by delivering ammunition.’ This likely arms transfer followed a meeting between the leaders of the two nations at a space centre.
South Korea plays a significant role in Hungary’s economy. In 2022, South Korea stood as Hungary’s 13th largest trading partner and its primary investor. With 130 Korean companies operating in Hungary, they sustain the livelihoods of around 15,000 families. Notably, one of the major South Korean investments in 2021 was SK Innovation’s venture in Iváncsa, located in the southwest of Budapest. This was followed by W-SCOPE’s investment in Nyíregyháza in the northeastern region of Hungary in 2022. In September of this year, it was revealed that Samsung SDI’s battery factory had made the largest research and development investment in Hungary to date, supported by a significant government subsidy.
Related articles:
Sources: Hungarian Conservative/KKM/MTI
