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Kwon Hyung Lee is Head of the Middle East and Africa team at the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP). He is also an Adjunct Professor at Graduate School of International and Area Studies, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. His research focuses on industrial and energy policy in Middle Eastern countries. His recent publications are on ‘the healthcare sector of MENA countries’, ‘structures and risk factors of Islamic project finance’ and ‘global development of shale gas and its implications for Korea’. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Economics from Seoul National University and a PhD degree in Economics from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London.
Korea and the GCC: Reaching a Sustainable Economic Partnership
Over the past four decades, economic relations between the Republic of Korea (hereafter Korea) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have been focused on two sectors. Given the lack of energy resources in Korea, the GCC countries have provided oil and gas for Korean manufacturing, electricity, transport, and related activities. These countries have also provided Korea with business opportunities in the construction sector, including the building of expressways, seaports, and industrial plants.
