My Diplomatic Outreach

[성김 대사]

In my previous blogs, I have often mentioned two topics that are very near and dear to me: U.S.-Korea cooperation beyond the peninsula and U.S.-Korea people-to-people ties.  But even though I am the U.S. Ambassador to Korea, my contacts are not limited only to Americans and Koreans.  Here in Korea, there are about 100 Embassies from countries all around the world, and I try to meet with as many other Ambassadors as often as I can.

In fact, there are a couple of things you may not know about the foreign Ambassadors in Korea.  We, like Korean society in general, recognize the importance of experience and hold it in high regard.  So the foreign Ambassadors group has a senior Ambassador from Uzbekistan, Ambassador Vetali Fen (he has been Uzbekistan’s Ambassador to Korea since 1997!), and we all recognize him as the “Dean of the Diplomatic Corps.”  Worldwide practice is that the longest-serving Ambassador in every capital serves as the “Dean.”  Ambassador Fen is extremely intelligent, has years of experience and is very entertaining.  We are proud to have him as the Diplomatic Corps’ representative.

There is an interesting group of Korean-speaking Ambassadors called “Hansamo (한사모 – 한국을 사랑하는 모임).”  It was established in 2002, and they meet once every two months.  So far I have not joined this group but hope to in the future.

I also try to meet my counterparts for meals whenever we have time.  Since my arrival, I have already had dinner with Chinese Ambassador Zhang Xinsen, lunch with Japanese Ambassador Masatoshi Muto, dinner with members from the EU and other meals with the Ambassadors from Russia, Australia and Europe. 

The lunch and sake were delicious at Ambassador Muto’s residence, and to start the Year of the Black Dragon well, dinner and mao-tai at Ambassador Zhang’s residence was not to be missed.  Not only am I developing great contacts and friends, but I am afraid I am getting fat from all these amazing meals! 

Dinner at Ambassador Zhang’s residence (Photo: Chinese Embassy Seoul)

One thing that really impressed me at Ambassador Zhang’s residence as we drank bai-jiu (think soju with a bigger kick) and told stories was the unique atmosphere.  There were about a dozen of us around the table from the U.S. and China.  And as I looked around, I was amazed and surprised to find the U.S. and Chinese diplomats speaking in Korean, Chinese and English!  There were three languages being spoken fluently all around me!  It was very impressive and a little bit humbling.

At the Chinese Embassy, I was delighted to find that not only was I making new friends, but I was also renewing old friendships.  The Chinese DCM, the Political Counselor, his Deputy and I all worked closely together on the Six-Party talks, and they are all tremendous and extremely experienced diplomats.  I think that is one of the many signs of Korea’s growth and status in the world.  Countries now only send especially seasoned and extraordinarily high-level Korean Peninsula specialists as their diplomats to Korea, showing the importance that Korea now holds in the world.  It makes me even that much more honored and proud to have been selected as the U.S. Ambassador to Korea.