My congratulations on the 41st Anniversary of Tehran Times! As Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Islamic Republic of Iran, I have had the privilege of meeting and having interviews with Tehran Times on many occasions, and it was always a pleasure to be able to introduce to the Iranian people what important issues are going on between Korea and Iran, and to be reminded of the Iranian people’s deep interest in the friendly relations of our two countries, love for K-pop and K-drama, and passion for learning the Korean language. 

As the “Tehran Street” in the bustling center of Seoul and the “Seoul Boulevard” in Tehran vividly shows, Korea and Iran have continued close and friendly relations for many decades. In addition to the close cooperation in the economic, political, and cultural areas, our concerted efforts to fight against COVID19 are binding us even closer together. While Korea was one of the countries that was hit by the pandemic earlier than others, Korea could effectively control the disease by preemptively and rigorously Testing, Tracing, and Treating it, which was later labeled as “3T”. The efforts and measures of the Korean Government to combat COVID19 are characterized by our “TRUST campaign”, which stands for Transparency, Responsibility, United action, Science, and Together in solidarity. The world is a diverse place with many different cultures and values but we believe that “TRUST” can be a universal guiding principle that other countries can apply in their fight against COVID-19. 

Since pandemic requires global alliance and close cooperation of every country, Korea and Iran are also working together to fight against COVID-19. Korea has recently committed to make 2 million USD worth of in-kind contribution to the Iranian government and is making various efforts in order to continue and boost trade with Iran. 

As Tehran Times celebrates the 41st anniversary of its establishment, I would also like to thank all the men and women who are committed to their journalistic values at this esteemed media. Reading Tehran Times is an integral part of me and my colleagues’ daily routine, since we feel confident that the news shows prudent editorial judgement of the paper with decades of valuable experience in journalism. Due to the political, economic, and cultural significance Iran has in the international arena, it is important for the audiences outside of Iran to learn the facts and viewpoints regarding what is happening in Iran and understand the underlying reasons behind those events. As a leading English-language daily, Tehran Times has played a key role in bridging the language gap between the news in Iran and audiences outside this country. While the print media are faced with growing challenges from development of digital technology, I believe that the role and significance of the newspaper will not abate, and that the contribution Tehran Times makes to the world will continue. 

I would like to thank Tehran Times again for playing an important role in helping the Korean Embassy communicate with the Iranian people on many issues in a timely manner. I look forward to having further interactions with Tehran Times and its respected journalists in the future as well. Happy 41st Anniversary of Tehran Times!