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KNC President Dr. Saman Shali was formally
invited to visit South Korea from October 17 – 22,
2004, by, OHM Electric Co., Ltd, Pyeng Hwa
Construction Group and Modern International Inc. The
purpose of his visit was to inform the Korean people
about the suffering of the Kurds, to improve the
relationship between the Korean and Kurdish peoples,
and to build economic ties between Korea and
Southern Kurdistan.
Dr. Shali thanked the Korean Government and the
Korean people for sending Korean troops to be
stationed in Kurdistan of Iraq and hoped that they
would help the Kurdish people sustain peace in the
region. Also, he conveyed the condolences of the
Kurdish nation to the family of beheaded hostage Mr.
Kim Son IL and the Korean people. Dr. Shali stressed
that the Kurdish nation condemns all acts of
terrorism in any shape or form, and that the Kurdish
people are proud to have never used terrorism to
advance their plight, even when the crime of
genocide was committed against the Kurds.
During his visit, Dr. Shali met with various
high-level political officials, members of the
Korean National Assembly, and leaders in the
business community. He also was interviewed by
several newspapers and magazines, and addressed two
distinguished groups (Dong Back Academy and People
to People International) in the city of Pusan. In
these meetings and interviews Dr. Shali explained
the goals of KNC and the history of the Kurds in
Kurdistan. He drew on the similarities between the
suffering of Korean people and the Kurdish people
during the history and outlined the genocide
committed against the Kurds by Saddam Hussein.
Dr. Shali explained the political situation in Iraq
and the role of the Kurds as a part of the coalition
during the liberation of Iraq and in the future of
Iraq. The importance of the upcoming election in
Iraq on the future of the Kurds was stressed as was
the disappointment of the Kurds after the liberation
to reverse the process of the Arabization of the
Kurdish cites and to secure compensation for the
families of the Anfal operations and the victims of
chemical weapons attacks. Also, Dr. Shali described
the Kurds’ disappointment in learning that the
census in Iraq would be postponed until after the
election, effectively excluding all of the Iraqis
living abroad from voting, which could
disproportionately affect Kurds, because the voting
will now depend on previous enrollment in the food
rationing system in Iraq.
Dr. Shali asked the Korean people and government to
support of the Kurdish people by supporting the call
of the Kurdish people on the United Nation to
conduct a referendum in Iraqi Kurdistan.
At the meeting with leaders in the business
community, Dr. Shali urged them to come to Iraqi
Kurdistan and help to rebuild the infrastructure and
industry, and to establish join venture businesses
in Kurdistan. Dr. Shali addressed the security
concerns of Korean businessmen for their employees
if they conducted business in Kurdistan by
reassuring them of the security in Kurdistan. He
also outlined the incentives of the Kurdish Regional
Government for companies doing join venture
businesses in Kurdistan.
In the end of the trip, Dr, Shali signed memoranda
of understanding with different companies to
establish businesses in Kurdistan, which would help
in the rebuilding of Southern Kurdistan and
strengthen the economic ties between the Korean and
Kurdish people.
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