Greek–South Korean relations are the foreign relations between Greece and South Korea. Greece has an embassy in Seoul and an honorary consulate in Daejeon. South Korea has an embassy in Athens.
History
The Greek newspaper "Vradyni" (Βραδυνή) decided to give a 6th century B.C. corinthian helmet which was discovered in Ancient Olympia to the winner of the Marathon race of the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. The winner was the Korean runner Sohn Kee-chung. The helmet is now displayed at the National Museum of Korea and is the only Western artifact that has been recognised as a Treasure (#904) by the Korean government.
As soon as 1950, Greece sent an expeditionary force to help the South Koreans against the communists during the Korean War. And at that time, the small Orthodox community of Korea received support by Greek military chaplain ministers.
Then, Korean Orthodox faithful requested to come under the spiritual care of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in 1955 and the Ecumenical Patriarchate took the Korean Orthodox Church under its protection in 1956. Both countries established diplomatic relations on April 15, 1961.
South Korea opened its embassy in Athens on July 6, 1973. Greece opened its embassy in Seoul in October 1991. Greece also has an honorary consulate in Daejeon.
List of bilateral visits
From South Korea to Greece
May 1995, Deputy Minister for Policy Planning and International Organizations Ban Ki-moon May 2000, Speaker of the National Assembly Park Joon-kyu October 2001, Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Yoo Sam-nam August 2002, Minister for Trade Hwang Doo-yun April 2004, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ban Ki-moon August 2004, Minister of Culture and Tourism Jung Dong-chae April 2006, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ban Ki-moon September 2006, President Roh Moo-hyun June 2007, Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Kang Moo-hyun October 2007, Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Kang Moo-hyun
From Greece to South Korea
July 1987, Minister of Foreign Affairs Karolos Papoulias
November 1990, Prime of Ministers Konstantinos Mitsotakis
March 1998, Minister of the Mercantile Marine Stavros Soumakis
October 2000, Alternate Foreign Minister Elisavet Papazoi
February 2003, Alternate Foreign Minister Tasso Giannitsis
November 2004, Minister of Agricultural Development Evangelos Bassiakos
January 2005, Minister of Mercantile Marine Manolis Kefalogiannis
June 2007, Minister of Transportation and Communications Michalis Liapis
List of bilateral treaties
Education agreement (July 23, 1970) Trade agreement (October 4, 1974) Agreement on abolition of visa requirements (February 25, 1979) Agreement on scientific and technological cooperation (May 16, 1994) Aviation agreement (January 25, 1995) Agreement on investment protection (January 25, 1995) Agreement on avoidance of double taxation (March 20, 1995)
See also
Foreign relations of Greece
Foreign relations of South Korea
Greek Expeditionary Force (Korea) Korean Orthodox Church
References
External links
Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the relation with South Korea
South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade about the relation with Greece Site of the South Korean embassy in Athens