Hangeul & Hanbok

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Hangeul

Hangeul, the Korean alphabet, is composed of 10 vowels and 14 consonants.

King Sejong the Great and his scholars created this writing system in 1443, because Koreans were relying on Chinese characters to study, teach and communicate in written form, even while they spoke a language different from Chinese.

Today, the Hangeul writing system is used by 70 million South and North Koreans, as well as 7 million overseas Koreans.

Hanbok

Hanbok has been Korea‟s traditional costume for thousands of years. Before the adop- tion of Western clothing about 100 years ago, Hanbok used to be everyday attire for most people.

Men wore a jeogori (jacket) with baji (trousers) while women wore a jeogori and a chima (wrap-around skirt). Today, Hanbok is mainly worn on days of celebration or special occasions such as weddings, 60th or 70th birthdays, and Seollal (New Year Day) or Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving Day).

Hangeul & Hanbok

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Lee hopes for thaw with North

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak took the 64th anniversary of Korea‟s liberation from Japanese rule on Aug. 15 as an opportunity to urge North Korea to forsake its nuclear ambitions, proposing the two Koreas resume nuclear dialogue. He pledged various incentives if the North does so.

“Nuclear weapons only aggravate the North‟s future, instead of promising the country‟s safety,” he said in an address at the annual ceremony held at the Sejong Arts Center near Gwanghwamun, central Seoul. “I hope North Korea will find ways to protect itself and bring prosperity to both the North and the South. If North Ko- rea shows such resolution, the South Korean government will proceed with a new peace plan for the Korean Pen- insula.”

The president said such a program could involve international efforts to help North Korea‟s economy develop and “dramatically improve” living standards.

Lee carefully emphasized, however, that such incentives would be offered only if the North stops pursuing a nuclear program. The president‟s remarks came at a time when there have been glimmers of hope for improved inter-Korean relations, which had been stalled since nuclear and missile tests by the North. Former U.S. Presi- dent Bill Clinton made a trip to the North recently and met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in a successful bid to free two U.S. journalists.

President Lee also presented proposals on domestic affairs in the speech. He said the government plans to reform the election system and administrative programs to root out long-standing regionalism, referring to the emo- tional feuds between people from the Gyeongsang and Jeolla provinces, and Koreans‟ tendency to favor those who share their geographical origins.

“At the root of Korea‟s unproductive politics is regionalism,” Lee said, “Under the current electoral system, you can‟t get away from regionalism. The old administrative districts that were formed more than 100 years ago are intensifying regionalism and hindering effective regional development.”

He said that the National Assembly session will discuss the details, adding that the government intends to expe- dite reform by giving support to districts that decide to consolidate.

Lee also emphasized “clean politics.”

“I believe the key to making our politics meet world standards is in making them more transparent and productive. It is true that transparency has increased in this field throughout the years. But we still have a long way to go,” he said.

Lee said he was the first Korean presidential candidate ever to receive no illegal money from corporations, end- ing the vicious cycle that had dominated Korean politics, and he again pledged that he would never take any illegal funds. The president also promised not to tolerate any special favors for his relatives, and to make sure that this pledge is carried out by reinforcing the supervisory system.

“Special attention will be given to eradicating corrup- tion that involves abuses of power and corruptive prac- tices that have been established as the norm in certain regions,” the president said.

President Lee Myung-bak delivered his Liberation Day speech Aug. 15 at the Sejong Arts Center in central Seoul.

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Korea, ASEAN Look Ahead

Marking the 20th anniversary of the relationship between Korea and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, a commemorative summit took place June 1 and 2, where President Lee Myung-bak promoted his New Asia Initia- tive through a series of bilateral summits.

Leaders of the 10 ASEAN member nations — Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam — gathered on the resort island of Jeju for the summit, under the theme

“Partnership for Real, Friendship for Good.”

Most of the events focused on regional and global issues including climate change, energy security and cooperative measures to recover from the financial crisis. Leaders also addressed concerns about the escalated threat posed by North Korea, including its recent nuclear test.

The summit was also seen as a key opportunity for Presi- dent Lee to strengthen his New Asia Initiative.

Announced in March this year following visits to Austra- lia, New Zealand and Indonesia, this diplomatic campaign seeks to upgrade Korea‟s role as a power player in Asia by engaging the region and attempting to create stronger ties.

The initiative also represents a shift in Korea‟s foreign policy focus from the global superpowers of the United States, Japan and China to regional neighbors.

During the summit proper, President Lee announced an ambitious plan to increase support for the Korea-ASEAN relationship by expanding official development assistance to the member nations while pushing for cultural exchanges.

In his keynote address, Lee praised the 20-year relation-

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Korea‟s pledges to upgrade ties with ASEAN were put on paper in a 40-point joint statement released at the end of the summit.

The two sides also signed a free trade agreement on investment on June 2, expected to boost trade by remov- ing tariffs and improving transparency.

Korea and ASEAN now have three separate FTAs for merchandise, services and investment. The deals on merchandise and services were ratified in June 2007 and April of this year, respectively.

The Lee administration‟s vision of low-carbon green growth was also promoted at the summit.

“Green growth and fighting climate change are not a matter of choice. They‟re a matter of survival,” Lee said at the May 18 meeting with journalists from ASEAN nations ahead of the event. “Korea will cooperate with ASEAN in this matter. Korea has contributed US$200 million to the East Asia Climate Partnership.”

ship between Korea and the association. “To support this cooperative relationship, Korea created the Korea- ASEAN Cooperative Fund and has raised US$39 million,” he said. “With the fund, 190 projects have been completed successfully, particularly focused on providing information on the region and youth exchanges.”

The expansion of ties is key to Korea and ASEAN‟s future, Lee said the two sides should increase trade from

$90.2 billion in 2008 to $150 billion by 2015. Lee also said the Korea-ASEAN Cooperative Fund will raise US$5 million every year starting 2010, with US$2 million of that to be used to improve cultural exchange.

As part of this effort, Korea will invite 7,000 students and workers from ASEAN countries to visit here by 2015 for vocational training, while sending 10,000 Korean volunteers to Southeast Asia to share advanced technology in the IT and telecommunications sectors.

Lee also promised that Korea would share its development expertise with ASEAN nations and provide assistance to fit each country‟s unique needs.

The president announced a plan to double Korea‟s official development assistance to the association to $400 million by 2015, another part of the New Asia Initiative.

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On June, Korea‟s first lady Kim Yoon- ok hosted a series of events to accom- pany the summit that commemorated 20 years of diplomatic ties between Korea and the Association of Southeast Asian nations, where she promoted Korea‟s scenic beauty, tourist attractions and cuisine.

On June 1, Kim and a group of South- east Asian students studying in Korea participated in a Jeju “olle” hike. Olle is a regional Jeju word for a narrow path- way that connects the street to the front gate of the house.

During the hike, Kim and the students learned about the Jeju Olle program and local myths and legends. The trail over- looked the rocky coastline and pine tree forests. “I came to Jeju for my honey- moon, but it is my first time walking on this trail,” Kim told the students. “Please promote Korea‟s natural beauty and culture in your home countries.”

Kim also invited visiting dignitaries at the ASEAN-Korea summit for a tour on June 2.

The first ladies of Cambodia and Viet- nam, along with wives of cabinet members and ambassadors, joined Kim at some of Jeju‟s popular tourist venues, such as the Cheonjiyeon Waterfall and the Jeju Folk Village Museum, which

Enthusiastic First Lady Promotes Korea’s Cuisine, Scenic Beauty

Summit a chance to show off the best in local food

Kim Yoon-ok, the first lady of Korea, second from right, walks down a narrow path (olle in Korean) on Jeju island with students from ASEAN member nations

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features a collection of traditional artifacts from Jeju.

According to Cheong Wa Dae, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his wife Kristiani Her- awati praised the scenic beauty of Jeju Island during their meeting with President Lee Myung-bak and the first lady.

Lee and Yudhoyono agreed to promote Jeju and Bali together to the international community, said Lee Dong- kwan, spokesman for the Korean president.

With the initiative of first lady Kim, the special summit, attended by leaders of the 10 ASEAN member states, was used as a venue to showcase some of Korea‟s fa- mous dishes in a bid to raise awareness of Hansik, the vernacular word for the local food.

The Lee administration announced in May an ambitious plan to globalize Korean food, hoping to position it among the world‟s top five cuisines, an elite group that it said currently consists of Chinese, French, Italian, Japa- nese and Thai.

The Task Force for Korean Cuisine to the World, launched on May 4, is part of the government‟s efforts.

The first lady, who serves as honorary chairwoman of the task force, has stressed that globalization of Korean food will be crucial to economic growth and the spread of Korean culture worldwide.

Korean cuisine has great potential to be well-received by foreigners as it meets one of the prevailing conditions of the current world food trend - being healthy,” Kim said at the inauguration ceremony of the task force. “But there are many challenges that lie ahead.”

To get Korean food on the plates of people across the world, a strategic promotional approach is a must, Kim said. “We need to find the foods that foreigners will like,” she said. “To make it suit their taste buds, we need to make some adjustments. It is also urgent and vital to increase the number of places and occasions where foreigners can experience Korean cuisine.”

Elaborate Korean meals like this one were served at the official welcome dinner during the ASEAN summit meeting.

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The President addresses UN General Assembly for first time

President Lee made his debut at the 64th United Nations General Assembly meeting on September 23.

At the UN General Assembly meeting, which took place a day after the UN Summit on Climate Change, President Lee gave a key address to world leaders, in which he emphasized the UN's role in helping the Republic of Korea to stand up on its own after the 1950-53 Korean War.

The President went on to say that now is the time for Korea to return the favor to the international community.

He said that Korea had been one of the least developed countries in the world, but had transformed itself to become a donor country.

The President expressed his willingness to contribute to world peace by Korea doing its part in preventing conflicts and counter-terrorism efforts through its peacekeeping operations overseas.

President Lee also introduced Korea's efforts to pursue

development in an environmentally friendly way. Korea will come up with its 2020 targets for greenhouse gas re- duction by the end of this year, even though it's not re- quired to do so, said the President.

He also emphasized the importance of water resources and pledged that Korea would do its fair share in such efforts by following up on the achievement of the Cheonggyecheon (Cheonggye Stream) restoration and pursuing the restoration project on the Han, Geum, Nak- dong and Yeongsan Rivers.

Lastly, the President urged North Korea to immediately return to the six-party talks to restore peace to the Korean Peninsula.

On the sidelines of the UN meeting, President Lee had bilateral meetings with the leaders of China, Japan, Den- mark and Australia.

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President Lee Myung-bak attends Pittsburgh G20 Summit

President Lee Myung-bak attended the Pittsburgh G20 Summit on September 25 and warned against hasty exit strategies, which could invite a "double-dip recession."

The President said exit plans should come after thorough internal verification and analyses, and should be coordi- nated with the International Monetary Fund.

Meanwhile, the leaders of the G20 nations, which account for 85 percent of the world's gross domestic product, adopted a joint statement calling for the G20 meeting to be the central forum to lead global economic cooperation.

The leaders also agreed in the statement that the process of economic recovery remains incomplete. "In many countries, unemployment remains unacceptably high. The conditions for a recovery of private demand are not yet fully in place. We cannot rest until the global economy is restored to full health," said the statement.

The leaders called for the World Bank to generate an

increase of at least 3 percent of voting rights for developing and transition countries.

Korea will host the Group of 20 Summit in November next year according to a decision reached at the third G20 Summit meeting. "The unanimous decision to have Korea host the November 2010 meeting was reached by the G20 leaders, thanks to the Korean people's keen desire," Presi- dent Lee said at a joint press conference.

Canada will host the fourth meeting in June 2010, and Korea will host the fifth. The previous three rounds were held in Washington, D.C. (Nov. 2008), London (Apr.

2009), and Pittsburgh respectively.

The June G20 summit in Canada, which will be held along with the G8 summit, will be co-hosted by Korea and Canada, upon the Canadian Prime Minister's request, President Lee said.

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The Pittsburgh G20 summit in September marked a great turning point in the history of Korean diplomacy. The leaders gathered in the city agreed that the G20 summit meetings would work as a "premier forum"

to coordinate international economic cooperation and decided to make the meeting an annual event. The first annual meeting of sorts has been decided to take place in Korea in November 2010.

The G20 summit is a new steering com- mittee to set the right direction for the global economy, and it replaces the G8 meeting, which used to play a similar role.

The G20 meeting is also going to be a core organization to tackle such major global issues as energy, natural resources, climate change, global hunger and poverty.

Korea transformed from one of the poor- est countries to a nation that helps to lead the international agenda in only half a century.

President Lee Myung-bak said at a special press conference in Seoul after his September trip to the United States, "Korea was a country which was satisfied with the role given it by the international community, but it has now become a nation that will lead the new formation of the international setting."

"Korea's hosting of the G20 meeting implies that the country has advanced to the center of the global stage, moving away from being merely a remote region in East Asia. We have to contribute to the world's development and enhance Korea's branding at the same time by successfully hosting the forthcoming G20 summit," said the President.

Experts say that Korea will earn a maximum of US$500 million of economic benefit from playing host. Aside from the economic boon, Korea's national status will also rise at the same time, they say. "The G20 hosting will have as big an effect as the 1988 Seoul Olympics. It is such a big diplomatic achievement for Korea," said Marcus Noland, Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute of International Economics based in Washington, D.C.

Korea to make all-out efforts for successful G20 summit

The President Lee speaks about Korea's hosting of a G20 meeting at a special press conference in Seoul on Sep. 30.

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The Korean government is determined to make the best out of this great opportunity, which is at the same time a huge challenge.

As to chairing the G20 summit next year, President Lee said that he would try hard to coordinate national interests of the advanced and emerging economies at the same time, while emphasizing that Korea has a rich experience of having greatly developed itself in the past.

"As Korea's international standing goes up, we are given a greater role and responsibility as well," the President said.

Korea is not making its voice heard loudly enough considering its international economic standing, and it is now time to change and make efforts to lead international issues, such as inter-Korean problems, under its leadership, added the President.

Meanwhile, newly appointed Prime Minister Chung Un-chan said at his first Cabinet meeting (Oct. 6) since his inauguration that the government should mobilize all its resources and energies for the G20 meeting in November next year and made clear that the issue would be at the top of the government's priority list.

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Korea-Pakistan Bilateral Consultation Meeting for ODA policy was held on 13 August 2009. Korean delegation headed by Director of Economic Development Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade visited Islamabad, and met with a number of counterpart agencies such as Economic Affairs Division (EAD), Pro- vincial Relief Rehabilitation & Settlement Authority (PaRRSA), NWFP, National Vocational and Technical Edu- cation Commission (NAVTEC) and Ministry of Textile Industry. During the meeting, both sides review the progress on bilateral economic cooperation and discussed future strategy for the implementation of the assistance pledge made at the occasion of Tokyo Donor‟s Conference. Korean delegation conveyed its intention to actively participate in the international community‟s efforts to support the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the Malakand Division, NWFP, especially in the field of education, health, vocational training and infrastructure building.

Korea has provided various kinds of assistance to Pakistan for its economic and social development since long. In November last year Korea has signed a Framework Agreement to provide US $160 million in soft loan to Pakistan for the period of three years. Additional $40 million was pledged at the time of Tokyo Donor‟s Conference last April.

Korea also joined the world community as a member of Friends of Democratic Pakistan (FODP) in supporting Pakistan‟s efforts to promote long-term stability and economic prosperity while bravely overcoming security challenges by fighting against extremism and terrorism.

KOREA-PAKISTAN Bilateral Consultation meeting for ODA Policy

LOTTE completes acquisition of Pakistan PTA Ltd

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September 2009, KP Chemical Corporation, a subsidiary of the 5

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largest South Korean con- glomerate LOTTE has acquired majority shareholding in Pakistan PTA Ltd (PPTA). PPTA is the single largest foreign direct investment (US$ 500 million approx.) in Pakistan‟s petrochemical industry and this transaction would enable PPTA to benefit from KP Chemical‟s strategy of seeking new markets and ac- celerating growth in one of its core businesses.

Since its foundation in 1948, the LOTTE Group had made rapid strides across the globe and its superior

confectionery products have been recognized by across 70 countries consumers.

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The signing of MOU between Embassy of the Republic of Korea &

Ministry of Textile Industry of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan re- garding establishment of Garment Technology Training Centre

The Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Pakistan Mr. Shin Un and Secretary of Ministry of Textile Indus- try of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Mr. Waqoor Masood Khan, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding the establishment of Garment Tech- nology Training Centre (GTTC), Karachi on behalf of their respective Governments in a graceful ceremony held at Ministry of Textile Industry in Islamabad on Oc- tober 13, 2009.

The project aims to contribute to developing textile and apparel industry of Pakistan. It envisages, inter alia, to enhance competitiveness of textile and apparel industry by providing training facilities and technical expertise in the value added area of garment technology.

This project is part of Korea‟s effort to assist Pakistan in improving vocational training capacity and creating job opportunities in Pakistan by transferring Korea‟s experience and knowledge to Pakistani workforce.

For the implementation of the project, Korea Interna- tional Cooperation Agency(KOICA), which is implemen

ting agency of the project, will provide necessary equipments and materials, dispatch experts and invite Pakistani personnel, the cost of which is worth US $ 1.5 million for the period of three years, while Ministry of Textile Industry should provide accommodating building and other facilitation measures.

Once completed, GTTC will offer vocational training at diploma and certificate level in the fields of Garment Technology, Knitwear Technology, Apparel Marketing, Line Supervising and Sewing Machine Operator to young talented Pakistani job seekers.

The signing is witness of an important hallmark that Korea and Pakistan have so much to give and share each other. Capacity building, especially in the field of human resource development, has proved to be one of the most productive areas of mutual cooperation. The success of GTTI will be able to serve as a good benchmark that can bring more projects in the field of capacity building and labor force empowerment in the years ahead.

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Hallyu, the “Korean Wave,” refers to the growing in- terest in Korean pop and traditional culture across Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas.

Korean entertainment personalities, including Bae Yong-joon, the star of “Winter Sonata,” have become the hottest entertainment personalities in Japan, China and other countries. The most recent hit, the charming 16th century court drama “Daejanggeum” (Jewel in the Palace), is said to have provoked a new level of interest in traditional Korean clothing, herbal medicine and Ko- rean royal court cuisine. GEO TV has broadcasted the drama from 15 June 2009 in Karachi. It has attracted a lot of viewers in Pakistan and touched their hearts with lovely Korean ancient culture.

Korea‟s booming film industry and Korean pop music have also been forces intensifying the popularity of the Korean Wave.

An increasing number of Korean artists have won international recognition and fame for their creative or artistic talents.

Paik Nam-june has led the world in pioneering the new medium of video art. In the field of music, composer Yun Isang, violinist Chung Kyung-wha, conductor-

Korean Wave

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Korean food is nutri- tious and a lot of it is fermented. Consequently, it is considered healthy and a good defense against cancer. Kimchi, the most famous Korean

food, is salted, fermented cabbage served as a side dish at nearly every meal. It is rich in vitamins and minerals.

Main dishes most familiar to Westerners are galbi and bulgogi. Galbi is beef short ribs cooked over a charcoal grill. Bulgogi, Korean barbecue, is thinly-sliced sirloin marinated in soy sauce with sesame oil and garlic, among other condiments.

Other popular dishes are bibimbap (a mixture of rice, vegetables, egg, and hot pepper paste), doenjang jjigae

(a bean paste stew), naengmyeon (buckwheat noodles in cold beef broth) and samgyetang (stewed chicken stuffed with rice and ginseng).

Korean Food

Bibimbap

Bulgogi

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A Korean NGO, „Vision Care Services‟, composed of eye doctors for voluntary service, and Korean Society in Paki- stan opened their annual “Free Eye Camp” at UCH-SAMBU Korean eye center in Lahore from Oct. 05 - 07, 2009 for Pakistani eye patients. For three days, they treated more than 500 eye outpatients and provided around 100 patients with cataract surgeries for the restoration of their normal vision.

Korean Society in Pakistan (Chairman Mr. Oh Sung Hoon) delivered relief goods to the IDPs in Mardan, NWFP on 31th July 2009.

There 400 bags of flour were donated to the IDPs by the members of Korean Society and Korean companies in Pakistan

H.E Shin Un, Ambassador of Republic of Korea in Pakistan and Dr. Kyoung Young Kim, Consul General of Korea in Karachi presented appointment documents to Kim Dong hyun and Kwon Young-kon regarding their selection as members of 14th chapter of the national unification advisory council in Pakistan. As a constitutional organization, the Na- tional Unification Advisory Council is committed to ushering in an era of hope and building a better future by contribut- ing to inter-Korean reconciliation and exchanges and laying the groundwork for peaceful unification.

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Computers Donation Ceremony at Islamabad College for Girls was held on September 29. At the ceremony, Ambassador Mr. Shin Un, through his remarks, called for more efforts to the students for the empowerment of women in Pakistan . An Inaugural Ceremony of “Special Children‟s Bathrooms” at Al-Farabi Special Education Center, Islamabad was held on 29 Sep. 2009 in collaboration of Al-Farabi school staff and KOICA members. The administration of Al-Farabi Special Education Center did not spare their efforts in joint works with Ms.Choi Jin-Hee KOICA volunteer to complete this valuable humanitarian project.

Mr. Hwangsik Kim, Chairman of the Board of Audit and Inspection of Korea, was elected and took office as the Secretary General of ASOSAI((Asian Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions) at the 11th ASOSAI Assembly held in Islamabad, Pakistan on 15 October 2009. During his visit, he hosted a dinner in honor of Korean businessmen in Pakistan at Ambassa- dor‟s Residence.

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To share Eid festivities, Madame Choi In-Sun, spouse of Ambassador Shin Un and President of International Foreign Women Association (IFWA), addressed the joint gathering participated by members of the Pakistan For- eign Office Wives Association (PFOWA) and IFWA at the auditorium of the Foreign Office of Pakistan.

Kim, Ee Sun (center) sang a song on the behalf of Korean Society in Pakistan.

The Korea National Day Reception was held on 1st October 2009 at Ambassador‟s residence in the Embassy premises.

On this occasion, Federal Minister for Housing and Work Mr. Rahmat ullah Kakar, Honorary Consul General of Korea Ch. Shujaat Hussain, diplomatic corps and a group of Pakistan high officials along with civil society members participated in the reception.

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Taste of Korea

Baechu kimchi

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Embassy of the Republic of Korea

Block 13 St. 29 Diplomatic Enclave II, G-5/4 Islamabad, Pakistan

Tel: 92-51-227-9380, Fax: 92-51-227-9391 Email: pakistan@mofat.go.kr