Closer South Korean-Iranian relations threaten to unleash Riyadh’s wrath
MOUs worth US$ 45 billion were signed during President Park Geun-hye’s visit to Iran. Some analysts are concerned about skewed relations at a time when sanctions have not been completely lifted. Saudi oil is at stake. Saudis would like to see a Seoul street named after the Saudi capital.
Seoul (AsiaNews) – Odonymy could ruffle Saudi-South Korean relations. Saudi Arabia is apparently miffed that a street in Seoul is named after the capital of archrival Iran and wants a street named for its own capital there. This might not be an easy task even though billions of dollars and Saudi oil are at stake.
The controversy began in early May when MOUs worth some US$ 45 billion were signed during a visit by conservative South Korean President Park Geun-hye to Tehran where she met her Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani.
This is South Korea’s largest foreign trade deal, and has been met by domestic business enthusiasm. However, some note that international sanctions are still in place against Iran, which this might still sink it.
This is complicated by Iran’s archenemy Saudi Arabia, which is one of South Korea’s main oil suppliers. Saudi Arabian state-run oil company ARAMCO proposed to its South Korean subsidiary S-Oil in March to name a street in Seoul’s Mapo district after Riyadh.
Saudi officials feel the move would bolster bilateral relations and are also suggesting naming a street in the Saudi capital after Seoul – a rarer honor since many Saudi streets have no names at all.
"Mapo district officials asked us if naming the street after Riyadh could cause any diplomatic problems, and we said no," the ministry official said. But district officials still have their doubts. Seoul city officials are apparently less than enthusiastic about the prospect of a Riyadh Street evoking one of the most repressive regimes in the world.
Saudi billionaire Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal today arrived in South Korea where is set to meet with officials. For conservative South Korean daily Chosun Ilbo, “it remains to be seen if he will try to exert pressure over a matter that is essentially trivial”.
“We should carefully revise our Middle East diplomacy and ensure to avoid any situations that can push us into an Iran-Saudi Arabia conflict,” said Yu Dal-seung, a professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies' (HUFS) Department of Persian.
The Saudis might “threaten South Korea by banning crude oil exports in extreme circumstances".
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12/02/2016 15:14
23/02/2017 18:17
