RIYADH: South Korean Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Jo Byung Wook met Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Dr. Nayef Falah Mubarak Al-Hajraf to discuss future cooperation between South Korea and the GCC. The South Korean envoy told Arab News on Wednesday that he held a meeting with Al-Hajraf to promote the political and economic relationship between South Korea and the GCC. During the meeting, the ambassador and GCC secretary-general hailed the “long-standing relationship” between South Korea and the GCC and agreed to work together to expand and deepen strategic partnerships, not only in the traditional energy sector, but also in the renewable energy, defense, healthcare, IT and digital industries in the future. The envoy said: “South Korea is the 10th largest economy in the world, and has maintained very special economic ties with the GCC states, including importing more than 60 percent of its crude oil from the GCC last year.” He added that South Korea will continue to strengthen its efforts to expand trade and investment with the GCC countries. Al-Hajraf praised the “deep relations” between the GCC countries and South Korea, and the development of ties at various levels, especially in the political and the economic fields. He added that it was important that both sides “enhance fruitful cooperation” across all fields and industries. The six-nation GCC and South Korea share a long history of cooperation. To further promote ties, the two sides in 2014 signed a memorandum of understanding to hold “regular strategic dialogues” at the foreign ministry level. The GCC is South Korea’s major trading partner in the Middle East.