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Saudi Arabia is apparently miffed that a street in Seoul is named after the capital of archrival Iran and wants a street named for its own capital here.
But Iran is one of Korea's most valuable trading partners, and Seoul city officials are apparently less than enthusiastic about the prospect of a Riyadh Street evoking one of the most repressive regimes in the world.
A Foreign Ministry official said Saudi Arabian state-run oil company ARAMCO made the proposal to its Korean subsidiary S-Oil in March to name a street in the Mapo district after Riyadh.
Saudi officials feel the move would bolster bilateral relations and are also suggesting naming a street in the Saudi capital after Seoul -- a rarer honor since many Saudi streets have no names at all.
"Mapo district officials asked us if naming the street after Riyadh could cause any diplomatic problems, and we said no," the ministry official said. But district officials still have their doubts.
Following President Park Geun-hye's visit to Tehran early this month, they are nervous that relations with the two theocracies, which are fighting several proxy wars in the Mideast, must be handled with kid gloves.
On Monday, Saudi billionaire Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal is visiting Korea to meet with officials here. It remains to be seen if he will try to exert pressure over a matter that is essentially trivial.
(THE CHOSUNILBO)
