SINGAPORE - Singapore and South Korea have marked the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations this year, with the presidents of both countries exchanging congratulatory messages.

The two countries first established diplomatic ties on Aug 8, 1975. To commemorate the occasion, President Tan has exchanged congratulatory messages with President Park Geun Hye, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said in a statement on Tuesday.

In a letter to Ms Park, Dr Tan noted that relations between Singapore and South Korea had grown from strength to strength over the past 40 years. Both countries, he said, enjoy multi-faceted ties which are underpinned by expanding economic cooperation. Both have also become each other's top trading partners and are seeking to deepen cooperation in various sectors such as infocommunication technology, real estate, SMEs and transport.

He expressed confidence that relations between the two sides would continue to strengthen in the years ahead.

Ms Park in her letter noted that the two countries have cooperated closely on various fronts - including political, economic and cultural - since diplomatic ties were established.

She said there has also been unprecedented growth in bilateral trade, investment, and people-to-people exchanges. She added that she believed that there are untapped opportunities for cooperation between Singapore's knowledge-based economy and South Korea's creative economy, the MFA said.