Tehran-Seoul Relations: Joint Chamber Prepares for Post-Sanctions Era
Pooya Firoozi, First Vice Chairman of the chamber, articulates a vision that goes far beyond humanitarian gestures or symbolic cooperation. "We should not wait for conditions to change," he emphasizes. "We must be prepared for the day they do." This forward-looking approach has translated into a series of concrete initiatives: transferring South Korea's development experience to Iran, publishing specialized analytical reports, identifying new industrial capacities, and fostering partnerships at the provincial level.
Humanitarian Projects as Seeds of Future Cooperation
South Korea has continued its engagement with Iran through humanitarian and development projects, including a vocational training center in Kurdistan, a rural wastewater project in Sistan-Baluchestan, and a solar-equipped school in Tehran. These are not merely charitable acts, Firoozi argues, but "small seeds of cooperation" that can grow into major economic ventures when conditions allow. "The vocational training center can pave the way for broader cooperation in industrial skills and human resource development. The wastewater project can serve as a basis for environmental cooperation. And the solar school can be a model for nationwide renewable energy projects."
Transferring Knowledge, Not Just Goods
In the current climate, where extensive trade is limited and capital and technology transfer face serious obstacles, the chamber has shifted its focus to what it calls "experience transfer." South Korea itself overcame post-war devastation, resource scarcity, and infrastructure challenges to become a global industrial powerhouse. The chamber has been studying these lessons—in reconstruction, industrialization, export development, SME growth, technology, AI, and crisis management—and presenting them in practical reports for Iranian policymakers, businesses, and academics.
"This collection of reports is a significant and distinctive effort," Firoozi notes. "It has been very well received by government bodies, chambers of commerce, economic associations, and universities." In doing so, the chamber is filling a gap: while trade flows are constrained, knowledge continues to move.
Emerging Industries: A Vision for the Future
South Korea leads the world in semiconductors, AI, biotechnology, and renewable energy. While Iran cannot yet compete at the same level, Firoozi sees this as an opportunity for complementary cooperation. "In fields such as AI, software, medical equipment, solar energy, biotechnology, robotics, and water technology, there are very good grounds for collaboration." The chamber is identifying Iranian companies with capacity and connecting them with Korean counterparts, aiming not merely to purchase goods but to foster technology transfer, joint R&D, co-production, and even joint exports to regional markets.
Building Trust in Iran's Private Sector
One persistent challenge has been Korean companies' preference for working with Iranian government bodies rather than the private sector. Firoozi acknowledges this is understandable—Korean firms seek stability, credibility, and reduced risk. The chamber, however, has built trust over years of activity, maintaining connections with government bodies, chambers, associations, and companies on both sides. "We can identify a suitable Iranian partner for a Korean company, review its track record and capabilities, and facilitate initial negotiations.
" The goal is to show that Iran's private sector can be a reliable partner in production, investment, and regional market development.
Provincial Partnerships and Cultural Bridges
Iran is not just Tehran, and South Korea is not just Seoul. The chamber is actively fostering province-to-province connections, matching each region's industrial, agricultural, mining, energy, and tourism capacities with appropriate Korean counterparts. The South Korean ambassador's visits to various Iranian provinces have been a valuable opportunity in this regard.
Cultural understanding, Firoozi insists, is the prerequisite for commercial trust. The chamber is building a sustainable network that includes universities, researchers, translators, cultural activists, and economic experts—ensuring that relations are not based solely on past generations but involve a new generation of actors from both countries.
A Vision for the Next Five Years
Looking ahead, Firoozi is optimistic. "We should not merely seek a return to past relations. We must design a new version of Iran-Korea economic relations with a proper roadmap." His vision includes expanded cooperation in technology transfer, renewable energy, medical equipment, environmental management, joint production, R&D, and investment. Success will be measured not by goodwill alone but by real indicators: increased trade, renewed Korean investment, technology transfer, and operational contracts between companies.
Final Words
"We want to preserve the Iran-Korea bridge in the toughest days so that in better days, we can turn it into a broad economic, technological, investment, and human pathway between the two countries." That, Firoozi concludes, is the mission—and the promise.