Estonia and Korea are celebrating 30 years of diplomatic relations.

Korea recognized the independence of Estonia on Sept. 6, 1991, and diplomatic relations were formed on Oct. 17 of the same year.

To mark the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties, the presidents of Estonia and Korea exchanged congratulatory letters underlining the mutually beneficial relationship, sharing common values such as democracy, a market economy and human rights.

The two leaders also stressed strengthening cooperation between Estonia and Korea in fields such as politics, economy and culture.

The Estonian Embassy in Seoul said opening the embassy earlier this year was another milestone in the process of bringing bilateral relations of the countries to a new level.

“Through three decades, multiple important bilateral agreements and different cooperation formats have cemented Estonia-Korea bilateral ties,” Estonian Ambassador to Korea Sten Schwede said in a press release.

Schwede highlighted that even though Estonia and Korea seem distant and culturally different, numerous similarities create potential for even closer cooperation, and over the three decades, Estonia and South Korea have become like-minded democratic countries that each value multilateralism and the rules-based international order.

“Estonia and Korea are active contributors to different international and regional organizations representing the free world,” Schwede added.

The 30th anniversary of concluding diplomatic relations will be celebrated in both Tallinn and Seoul. 

As part of the celebration, a concert featuring young musicians from South Korea and Estonia was organized by the Estonian Music and Theatre Academy in Estonia’s capital Tallinn on Monday.

Viewers can watch the replay of the virtual concert via the YouTube channel of the Estonian Music and Theatre Academy.