Seoul moves to boost ties with Gulf states as war hits trade

South Korea will dispatch a special envoy to Kuwait, Iraq, and Bahrain in a bid to strengthen cooperation with key Middle Eastern partners amid supply disruptions linked to the ongoing war in the region, the foreign ministry said on Thursday.

The envoy, Moon Byung-jun, a former charge d’affaires at South Korea’s embassy in Saudi Arabia, will travel to the three countries from Monday through May 9 as a representative of Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, according to the ministry, cited by Korean media.

During the visit, Moon is expected to meet senior officials in each country, exchange views on recent regional developments, and discuss practical avenues for cooperation across multiple sectors.

“The dispatch aims to strengthen cooperation with key Middle Eastern countries amid the prolonged war in the region and ongoing disruptions to global supply chains and to explore ways of expanding bilateral relations once the situation stabilises,” the ministry said in a statement.

The conflict in the Middle East, which began in late February following strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran, has since escalated into a broader war, disrupting global supply chains and unsettling financial markets.

By Tamilla Hasanova