SEOUL: To mark the country’s 88th National Day the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Seoul held a reception in the Shilla Hotel, in Seoul. Riyad Almubaraky, the Saudi ambassador, said that ties with South Korea represented one of the most successful models of Saudi Arabia’s bilateral relations with nations around the globe. “Since the inception of bilateral relations in 1962, the two countries have witnessed a qualitative leap and great development in many fields, including politics, economy, education, culture, and health and many other fields,” he said. About 400 guests, including envoys in Seoul, politicians and businessmen, attended the ceremony. Among the high-profile South Korean guests were Minister Park Neung-hoo of the Health and Welfare Ministry; Sohn Hak-kyu, leader of the minority opposition Bareunmirae Party; and Rep. Sul Hoon, a lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Party. Park stressed the progress of mutual cooperation in health care. “Korea offers residency programs for Saudi physicians and dentists. Currently, a total of 73 Saudi physicians and dentists have been enrolled in these training programs,” he said. In addition, Riyadh and Seoul are working closely on nuclear safety and security, as the Kingdom has sent 41 nuclear experts to South Korea for training in the development nuclear plants based on System-integrated Modular Advanced Reactor (SMART) technology. The SMART project is aimed at the design and development of compact nuclear reactors so that the Kingdom can diversify energy sources in line with Vision 2030. South Korea is bidding to build two nuclear reactors in Saudi Arabia. The Korea-Arab Friendship Caravan will be held in the Saudi capital on Oct. 14. More than 20 Korean artists will perform at the cultural event in the Riyadh-based King Fahd Cultural Center. South Korea plans to hold the first Korean history and culture exhibition in Riyadh later this year.