Euijin Lee and Heather Rigby have never told each other their ages, but they reckon there's about 60 years between them.

Key points: Euijin Lee and Heather Rigby have been friends since 2001

Euijin Lee and Heather Rigby have been friends since 2001 Ms Lee was a South Korean student with no friends in Tasmania when she met Ms Rigby through church

Ms Lee was a South Korean student with no friends in Tasmania when she met Ms Rigby through church Years later, Ms Lee is fulfilling her promise to bring her husband home to meet her friend

Their friendship — forged almost 20 years ago in Hobart — proves time and distance cannot ruin a true bond.

Ms Lee was a student when she came to Hobart from South Korea in the winter of 2001 to learn English.

She knew no-one and was too focused on studying to mingle with her peers.

That changed when she met Ms Rigby at her local church.

"I was the only Asian person in the church and everyone looked at me. Heather came over to me and said hello. I felt welcome," Ms Lee said.

"The following week at church she brought me a small white flower picked from her garden. It was the first time in my life someone had given me a flower."

Heather and Euijin have never asked each other their ages. ( ABC News: Free Vreman )

Despite their obvious age difference their friendship grew strong.

"On my birthday I was away from my family. Heather brought me a whole basket of flowers from her garden as a gift. It was the best present I've ever received," Ms Lee said.

"She was so kind to me. When I moved to a house I didn't have a mattress or anything — she gave me everything for my house and helped me set it up.

"Heather is my closest friend. I know there is a big age gap … to us it is not important for a friendship."

For Ms Rigby, Ms Lee became family.

"I'm so lucky to have met her. She's like another daughter to me," she said.

"We became firm friends. When she went back to Korea we corresponded with each other by letter."

Fulfilling a 20-year-old promise

Ms Lee was only in Hobart for four months, but her friendship with Heather continued to grow when she returned home to Korea.

She promised her that one day if she ever got married she would bring her husband to Hobart to meet her.

In June this year, Ms Lee — who is now a screenwriter — was finally able to keep her almost 20-year-old promise and returned to Hobart with her actor husband Youngwoo Park.

"She wrote to me saying she was coming back to Tasmania with her husband, but I never expected it would really happen," Heather said.

"Next thing I knew she was here.

"I was worried I wouldn't be around long enough to see her come back.

"Not many people are privileged to have a friend like that, someone who would travel halfway across the world just to see you."

It was an emotional meeting between two old friends and a new love.

Heather says Euijin's husband Youngwoo is a good match for her. ( ABC News: Free Vreman )

"I was so happy to meet Heather. Euijin has only ever spoken highly of her," Mr Park said.

Heather said she could tell Youngwoo was the perfect match for her young friend.

"I am so glad I have met her husband. Even though he doesn't speak English, his face tells a lot of the story. He's always smiling. You can see they're a very happy couple," she said.

Euijin hopes to return to Hobart again soon to honour a new promise made to her closest friend.

"I promised her when I got married I would introduce my husband. Now I've promised her I will come back again when I have my first child," she said.

