Q. Please tell us the significance of Belgium-Korea 120th anniversary and introduce special events scheduled this year.

On the special occasion of 120th anniversary of the establlishment of diplometic ties between Belgium - Korea, the "SeoulCity" magazine interviewd H.E. Peter Lescouher, Ambassador of Belgium to Korea for bilateral ties in the years to come. Following are the full texts of the interview.
120 years ago, on March 23rd 1901, the Emperor of Korea and the King of the Belgians signed a Treaty of Amity, Commerce and Navigation, the first bilateral agreement between Korea and Belgium. An original copy of that Treaty, with the seal of the Emperor, will be on display at the Palace Museum in autumn this year. As Korea lost its sovereignty a few years later, this first chapter of our bilateral diplomatic relationship was short and our bilateral diplomatic relations were interrupted till 1948. Belgium was one of the first countries to recognize the Republic of Korea after World War II, but it took some time before we established embassies in each other’s country. An agreement to do so was concluded in May 1961, so exactly 60 years ago. 2021 also marks the 70th anniversary of the arrival of Belgian troops during the Korean War and their valiant defense of the front line at the Imjin river, thereby blocking the advance of Chinese and Nord-Korean troops to Seoul. 
In Korea, the main events during this celebration year will be a Belgian festival in October and a concert of the Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra in December. There are many other events besides, not only cultural, but also academic and commercial. The agenda is adapted continuously in function of the evolution of the pandemic and the proposals we receive. Visit our website www.koreabelgium120.com for regular updates on the events we schedule throughout the year.

Q. Please let us know the major issues discussed and agreed during the summit talks between Korean President Moon Jae-in and Belgian counterpart H.M.King Philippe during his state visit with Belgian Queen to Seoul on March 26, 2019.

The meeting on 26 March was a good occasion for both Heads of State to underline the strong relations between both countries. During their visit the King and Queen experienced both the richness of Korea’s traditional culture (tea ceremony at the Furniture Museum, Taekwondo demonstration) and Korea’s technological strength (smart cities, artificial intelligence, etc. The separate programs for the King, the Queen and the accompanying Ministers allowed for a great variety of topics even though the visiting time was limited to three days.

Q. Please introduce what industrial sectors would be most attractive to Korean potential investors to Belgium.

Major Korean companies acknowledge the logistic strength of Belgium and have set up distribution centers there. Real estate investment in Brussels has also attracted a lot of Korean capital, as office space in Brussels is quite cheap in comparison with other European capitals. In the last years we also see growing Korean investment in Belgian biopharmaceutical companies, in the footsteps of US and Japanese companies.

Q. Please introduce investment environments and special favors to foreign investors. 

Apart from the excellent logistics and the good location of Belgium in the industrial center of NW Europe, foreign high tech companies are attracted by the generous tax deductions for research and development and the strong synergies between institutes of higher education and the industry. The life sciences cluster in Belgium is unique in Europe. Each region in Belgium has its own incentives: most Belgian embassies abroad, including Seoul, have commercial counsellors from the regions who are always happy to explain the assets and incentives of their region to prospective investors.

Q. Please introduce outstanding Korean companies' activities in Belgium.

Hyundai has two distribution centers in Belgium and LG has a distribution center for household appliances serving the Benelux. Lotte Confectionery bought the chocolate factory Guylian in 2008.

Q. Please introduce Belgian tourists' attractions for Korean tourists abroad.

Art cities like Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp attract a large number of Korean tourists each year. Good food and the many festivals add to the attractiveness of Belgium as a tourist destination. The southern part of the country is less frequented by Korean tourists although it has a lot to offer in the way of beautiful nature and astonishing castles. On the downside the weather could be mentioned: Belgium enjoys a moderate climate but it rains often. Tourism would receive a boost if there would be direct passenger flight connections between Seoul and Brussels.

Q. Please let us know your point of view on how to strengthen further the economic and cultural ties between Belgium and Korea in the years to come.

During the Belgian King Philippe’s state visit to Korea from March 25 thru 28, 2019, 35 agreements were signed between Korean and Belgian companies and academic institutions. The COVID pandemic made people-to-people contacts difficult, but I trust that these new partnerships will flourish once the pandemic is behind us. The Embassy will continue to promote online academic lectures, as we did in this celebration year, since they proved a very successful way of bringing the Korean and Belgian scientific community together. 
We will also continue to promote Belgium as a major logistics hub in the heart of Europe, also for the shipment of vaccines and medical products. Now that Korea and Belgium are both committed to acarbon-free economy by 2050, there are new areas in which we can cooperate successfully. Our shipping sector and our ports are particularly active in energy transition, in particular through the use of hydrogen. Belgium is also investing a lot in low energy buildings, a field in which Belgian companies have obtained valuable technological expertise, which smart Korean companies could put to good use in their own projects. 
The Korean Cultural Center in Brussels is very active and inventive in promoting Korean culture and Korean artists in Belgium. This celebration year is also a great opportunity to bring a number of Belgian artists to Korea, if covid permits. These mutual visits are the building stones for strong cultural ties, going beyond K-pop in Belgium and beyond Tintin and the Smurfs in Korea.