The Jordanian embassy on May 29 celebrated the 69th anniversary of its independence day, which marks the country’s liberation from British colonial rule in 1946.

The national holiday pays tribute to the bygone generations of Jordanians who sacrificed their lives to contribute to the foundation of modern Jordan.

National Assembly Rep. Lee Cheol-woo, president of the Korean-Jordanian Friendship Association, and four Jordanian parliamentarians participated in the event at Lotte Hotel.

Jordan and Korea established diplomatic relations in 1962. The Korean embassy opened in capital Amman in 1975, while the Jordanian embassy opened in Seoul in 2010. Jordanian Ambassador Omar Al-Nahar is the first resident envoy to Korea.

Jordan is the most open and free country in the Middle East with a constitutional monarchy, according to Korean Ambassador to Jordan Choi Hong-gi.

The Hashemite Kingdom has maintained close relations with the West, and recently strengthened ties with East Asia. As a politically stable country in a volatile region, Jordan has contributed to building peace and security in the Middle East, Choi wrote on the embassy’s website.

Currently, some 600 Korean nationals live in Jordan for business, education and religion. Korean companies have started operations in Jordan to launch into the larger Levant region of the eastern Mediterranean.

Fifteen Korean companies ― including Samsung, Daewoo and LG Electronics ― have started projects in construction, manufacturing, infrastructure, information communication technology, health care and energy.

The Korea International Cooperation Agency has dispatched Korean language instructors to the University of Jordan and other universities since 2002.

Jordan exports phosphate, potash salts, marble slabs and scrap metals to Korea.

While not possessing much water and oil, Jordan has large reserves of oil shale and uranium. It also has high wind and solar energy potential with winds exceeding 25 kilometers per hour in certain areas, and enjoying over 300 days a year of sunshine.

Jordan is known for its high-quality health care and pharmaceutical manufacturing, which have resulted from high levels of education and investment in human resources.

In 2010, the country was ranked the top medical tourism destination in the region and the fifth in the world by the World Bank. It is the largest Arabic exporter of pharmaceuticals, with its state-of-the-art research and development facilities.

Historic and leisure tourism among international tourists is popular, especially in the ancient city of Petra, capital Amman, port city of Aqaba and resorts along the Dead Sea and Red Sea. Exotic accommodations, exquisite cuisine and ecotourism activities are available, including camping, trekking and snorkeling.

By Joel Lee  (joel@heraldcorp.com)