The Bulgarian Ambassador here underscored a cultural triumph that the southeast European nation shares with South Korea during a reception in Seoul on Monday to celebrate Bulgaria’s Liberation Day.

Bulgarian Ambassador Petar Andonov, pointed out at an event to mark the 136th anniversary of Bulgaria’s liberation from five centuries of Ottoman rule that both countries had invented alphabets ― Korea developed Hangeul and Bulgaria the Cyrillic alphabet.

On March 3, 1878, a peace treaty was signed between rulers of the Ottoman Empire and Russian Empire ending the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878.

The treaty carved out a Bulgarian state after five centuries of Ottoman rule, from land between the Danube River and the Balkan Mountains and the region around Sophia, which became the new nation’s capital.

“I think there are a lot of similarities between Bulgaria and Korea: historically, in terms of the consequences of foreign invasions; culturally, in terms of the invention of the unique alphabet of Cyrillic and Korea’s Hangeul; and conceptually, in terms of sharing common values of democracy, market economy and the respect and protection of human rights,” Andonov said.

Diplomatic ties between South Korea and Bulgaria were established on March 23, 1990, after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War.

Approaching the 25th anniversary of ties between South Korea and Bulgaria, ties between the Asian economic powerhouse and the European Union ― of which Bulgaria is a member ― have already been upgraded, the envoy said.

“Bulgaria sees South Korea as increasingly influential on important global issues more than ever before, from nonproliferation to green growth, by virtue of its membership on the U.N. Security Council,” he said.

“I believe South Korea will see Bulgaria as a regional hub for ICT and R&D services for southeastern Europe, and also as a regional transportation and logistical center of southeastern Europe.”

Bulgaria received international media attention recently when Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski, an independent politician endorsed by the Bulgarian Socialist Party, renewed in February a cooperation agreement on culture between Bulgaria and North Korea.

By Philip Iglauer (ephilip2011@heraldcorp.com)