60th Anniversary of the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea

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Friday, October 2, 2009

SUPPLEMENT 17

Netherlands

For many years the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Netherlands have much valued their relations. Historically the Dutch are well known for their gusto for trade and it is only natural that they always found a

good basis (and welcome) for commerce in Hong Kong.

The Standard sat down with Consul General Seok Tong-youn to discuss the significance of the 60th anniversary and Korea-Hong Kong relations as well as Korean food.

TS: Congratulations on Korean National Day and the 60th anniversary of the Consulate General. Could you describe your thoughts and emotions on these auspicious occasions?

CG: Following the founding of the Government of the Republic of Korea in 1948, Hong Kong was among the first five places in which Korea set up overseas missions. That was in May 1, 1949. Since then, over 450 Korean diplomats served in Hong Kong in an effort to strengthen bilateral ties.

TS: I noticed photos of all the previous consul generals hanging in your office. You are the 23rd Consul General in Hong Kong.

CG: I remember my predecessors and brace myself up whenever I look at the photos of them. A Korean Great Buddhist Priest, Seosan, said, “Tread carefully on snow. The footsteps you leave behind will become a trail for those that follow.” I also would like to follow in the footsteps of my predecessors.

TS: If the Consulate General marks its 60th an- niversary, Korea-Hong Kong ties are just as old. What is your assessment of the bilateral relations?

CG: First, over the past six decades, bilateral relations have been expanding in many ways, including economy, trade, culture, human exchange, and so on.

Hong Kong is Korea’s 4th top destina- tion for exports, behind China, US, and Ja- pan. In 2008, bilateral trade volume reached USD 31.9 billion, and over 1 million people traveled between the two economies. Every week, 74 flights operate between Korea and Hong Kong.

In February this year, Chief Executive Donald Tsang paid an official visit to Seoul.

That was the first by a Hong Kong Chief Ex- ecutive in 10 years. It was a successful visit that galvanized bilateral relations.

TS: What events are planned to celebrate the 60th anniversary?

CG: On the occasion of the 60th anniversary, the Consulate General will be hosting a gala dinner at the Island Shangri-La Hotel on 6 October 2009.

Many eminent Hong Kong leaders are ex- pected to attend at the celebration, including Tung Chee Hwa, Vice Chairman of CPPCC;

Henry Tang, Chief Secretary for Adminis- tration; Jonathan Choi, Chairman of CGCC.

From Korea, I have also invited very promis- ing pianist Cho Seong-jin, the winner of the 6th Moscow International Chopin Competi- tion for Youth in 2008, to perform during the celebration.

I also extended a special invitation to Profes- sor Yoon Sook-ja, Director of the Institute of Traditional Korean Food, to serve the very best of Korean food to the guests.

TS: This year also marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of the PRC. I understand that Korea and China normalized diplomatic relations only 17 years ago. Despite the short history, bilateral ties are improving both qualitatively and quantitatively. What is your assessment of Korea-China relations?

CG: China has a saying, “A close neighbor is better than a distant relative.” As a close neighbor, I sincerely congratulate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the PRC.

Since 1949, China had overcome numerous challenges and obstacles. As a fellow Asian, I am proud of what China has achieved over the past six decades, and I wish to convey my heartfelt congratulations and respect to the leaders and the people of China.

Korea and China established diplomatic ties in 1992. Bilateral relations strengthened rapidly, thanks to the cultural similarities derived from thousands of years of exchanges, geographical proximity, and mutually complementary economic struc- tures.

China is Korea’s largest trading part- ner. Compared to back in 1992, bilateral trade volume grew by 26-fold. Bilateral trade amounted to USD 170 billion, which is close to the sum of Korea’s trade with the US and Japan combined. Korean investment in China amounts to USD 42 billion.

Bilateral travel grew as much as 40- fold from a mere 130,000 in 1992 to 5.13 million in 2008. Every week, 837 flights operate between major cities in Korea and China. Presently, Korea is host to 500,000 long-term Chinese residents, while 700,000 Koreans are long-term residents in China.

The 67,000 Korean students account for 32%

of the foreign student community in China, while the 44,000 Chinese studying in Korea account for 78% of all foreign students in Korea.

So far, Korea-China relations have been growing predominantly in the field of trade, investment, and travel, but they are now expanding to various areas. I believe that makes the future of bilateral relations very bright.

TS: I found the Culture Center very impressive.

CG: The Culture Center opened its doors on 30 June, 2009. The biggest feature of the center is the cutting-edge information tech- nology (IT) that provides visitors with information on tourist attractions and allows them to interact with Korean culture. The Culture Center holds an on-going display of

Korea

October 3 marks the National Day of the Republic of Korea.

Koreans refer to this day as “the day the sky opened,” according to the Myth of Dangun, the ancient mythical founding father of Korea.

This year also marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Hong Kong.

Korean National Day

Seok Tong-youn

Consul General of the Republic of Korea

Korean arts and crafts to raise Hong Kong people’s awareness of and appreciation for Korean handicraft. I hope that many Hong Kong citizens will visit the Culture Center and experience Korea.

TS: The Culture Center also offers programs on Korean cuisine. Hong Kong people are increasingly fond of Korean food.

CG: The Culture Center has a Korean food cor- ner. A touch screen provides images and descriptions of Korean dishes. Visitors can also receive cooking instructions by e- mail. This corner has become very popular among visitors.

Personally, I feel the beauty of Korean food lies in harmony of ingredients and consid- eration for the mental and physical health of the diners. I intend to highlight those as- pects in the Korean gala dinner that will be served on 6 October.

TS: With growing concern about health and well-

being, Hong Kong people are increasingly showing interest in healthy products. Ko- rean ginseng is widely recognized in Hong Kong as one of the best. Is there a particular reason that Korean ginseng is so popular?

CG: Since long ago, Korean ginseng was widely recognized throughout China and Asia as

“miraculous medicine.”

Many countries produce ginseng, but Ko- rean ginseng is the most popular. I believe there are several reasons for that. One is a natural factor. The climate and soil created by the four distinct seasons of Korea are ide- al for growing ginseng with high medicinal efficacy. Another is outstanding process- ing skills, accumulated over centuries by generations of ginseng cultivators. On top of that, Korea’s ginseng quality management is outstanding. Those attributes have made Korean ginseng the most competitive around the world. I hope more Hong Kong people could enjoy the ginseng products.