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Hassan Teherian

"With a population of 80 million, Iran has the second largest economy and consumer market in the Middle East. South Korea will be able to experience the second Middle East boom,” the ambassador said.

During a meeting titled "A New Horizon in South Korea-Iran Relations," which took place at the Seoul Press Center on Apr. 21, Hassan Teherian, 64, Iran's ambassador to South Korea, said that he expects the two countries to increase their cooperation in a variety of areas.

"Iran is planning to take bids for 50 big projects in the areas of petroleum and natural gas worth US$185 billion. The South Korean companies that did a lot of business in Iran and the Middle East in the 1970s will be able to take part once more," Teherian said.

The ambassador said that South Korean President Park Geun-hye's visit to Iran next month will be an opportunity for the two countries to strengthen their relations and that Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is looking into the idea of making his own visit to South Korea.

Teherian, who became ambassador in July 2014, has a long relationship with Korea. He worked at Iran's embassy in Seoul between 1980 and 1985, and he also served as Iran's ambassador to North Korea, for one year in 1992. His first son and daughter were born in Seoul.

In regard to allegations that North Korea has provided missile technology to Iran, Teherian said, "Iran has its own military and missile technology, and it does not need anyone's help. There is no possibility of cooperation with North Korea."

"During the Iran-Iraq War between 1980 and 1988, only a few countries helped Iran, and North Korea was one of those. That's why Iran is grateful to North Korea and maintains friendly relations with it," the ambassador acknowledged, but emphasized that "friendly relations" meant just that and that there was no trade nor any other connection between them.

When asked what lessons last year's breakthrough in the Iranian nuclear talks might have for nuclear talks with North Korea, Teherian said, "Iran made clear from the very beginning of the nuclear talks that it had no intention of acquiring nuclear weapons. That situation is very different from North Korea." But he did say that the Iranian nuclear talks showed that dialogue and diplomatic efforts could yield positive results.

In regard to low oil prices, which have been plunging because of a global supply glut, Teherian made clear that he did not support cutting production. "Iran needs to increase its production and also increase its exports in order to recover the market share that it lost during the period of economic sanctions," he said.

By Hwang Sang-cheol, staff reporter

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