Promoting Korean business and culture

The Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Hungary, Chung-ha Suh, is satisfied with what has been achieved in bilateral relations since his arrival to Budapest in 2008, he explained in an interview with Diplomacy and Trade.

Chung-ha Suh says he is happy to see “significant progress in some projects of cooperation that I put priority on. Joint research laboratories for scientific research, which I initiated were established last October. It enables our two countries’ outstanding scientists to conduct joint research in highly sophisticated scientific areas. Also, the Korean Cultural Center, which I strongly advocated, will be established this year to promote Korean culture in Hungary by offering programs such as lectures on Korean culture, language training, library services and film screenings.”

Regarding Hungarian-Korean political relations in general, Ambassador Suh states that “for the past 20 years, we have witnessed solid cooperation in political relations between Hungary and Korea. The two countries have been cooperating with and supporting each other in the international arena, based on a shared commitment to universal values and norms. In particular, Hungary has been a staunch supporter of the Korean government’s efforts to maintain peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and in Northeast Asia.” Also, the two countries have worked closely together to address global issues such as counter-terrorism, non-proliferation, environmental protection, and human rights.

Korea is one of the most important economic partners for Hungary outside of Europe. In fact, economic relations constitute a strong bond between the two countries. The trade volume between the two countries was 2.8 billion USD in 2010. In 2008, when the global economic crisis hit, trade volume dropped, but it rebounded in the following years. In Asia, Korea was the 2nd largest trading partner for Hungary only after China last year. In terms of investment in Hungary, Korea is ranked No. 2 in Asia only after Japan.

The Ambassador says he sees “much room for promotion of economic cooperation in view of the complementary structure of the two economies and our two economies’ potential for development. In addition, the Korea-EU Free Trade Agreement, which was signed in October of last year, will contribute to boosting economic relations between Hungary and Korea.” The free trade agreement between Korea and the European Union, which is expected to enter into force July 1, 2011, is likely to generate mutual economic benefits and offer enormous business opportunities for both sides. He is of the view that his Agreement will create substantial export opportunities for Hungarian manufacturers, service providers and farmers with the drastic reduction of tariffs and the harmonization of regulatory rules.

Culturally, Ambassador Suh is glad to talk about the significant progress of recent years. Particularly, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary in 2009 of the establishment of diplomatic ties, many cultural exchange programs were arranged by the governments and cultural institutions of the two countries. “However, the Hungarian people’s interest in and knowledge about Korean culture and history does not satisfy my natural expectations. Many Hungarians still have no idea of the uniqueness and richness of Korean culture. In this regard, I welcome my government’s decision to establish the Korean Cultural Center to be opened in Budapest this year.”

As for similarities between the two countries, the two peoples, “in my view, there are three main reasons why Koreans have a special affection for Hungary and Hungarians. These are the ethnic origins of Hungarians, the two peoples’ similar historical experiences, and Hungary’s courageous decision to establish diplomatic relations with Korea ahead of other former communist countries,” he adds.

The Ambassador believes “people-to-people contacts and exchanges are the most effective way of enhancing mutual understanding and thereby expanding the base of bilateral friendship and cooperation. While about 60,000 Koreans have been visiting Hungary a year recently, the number of Hungarian visitors to Korea is far less.” As Hungarians see Korea very different from what they imagined before their visit to Korea, he recommends both “Hungarian leaders in all sectors” and ordinary Hungarians visit Korea as “one picture is worth one thousand words”.