UAE enters into visa-free travel agreement with South Korea

South Koreans travelling to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will not need a visa any longer following the agreement signed by the governments of the two in September third week. The agreement was inked by Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and Yun Byung-se, South Korean foreign minister, at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Henceforth, people of both the nations can enter each other’s territories without a visa and stay for up to 90 days. This decision was prompted by the fact that the number of Koreans working in the UAE tripled in the last five years to touch the 13,000 mark. The National quotes Park Kang-ho, the Republic of Korean ambassador to the UAE, as saying that South Korea regarded UAE as one its closest political and international partners. He said that their country was grateful to the UAE for proactively participating in the efforts of the international community to exhort North Korea from renouncing its aggressive nuclear stance. Park Kang-ho said that going ahead South Korea and the UAE would collaborate on the world stage in fields such as climate change, counter-terrorism development, human rights, among others. Meanwhile, it is said that around 10,000 Emiratis visit South Korea every year. At least, 3,000 from Emirates got medically treated in South Korea last year. On the other hand, 70,000 Koreans fly to the UEA every year. Humaid Al Hammadi, the Emirati-Korean Friendship Society president, lauded this step and said that it would go a long way in firming the relationship between both the nations. Analysts in the UAE believed that South Korea would be the appropriate partner  for them as Emirates is looking to diversify its fuel-based economy into a knowledge-based one.