Korea 101 class for new diplomats

Two foreign diplomats try on traditional Korean clothes during a lecture at the Introduction of Korea for Foreign Diplomats program, held by the foreign affairs ministry.By Park Sun-young

“In days of old, you could determine whether a Korean man was married or not by seeing if he was wearing a topknot.”

Dozens of foreign diplomats, who were attentively listening to the lecture on “Understanding Korean Culture and Society,” nodded while appearing to take mental notes.

On the morning of Nov. 26, some 50 foreign diplomats gathered at the Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security, located in Seocho-dong, southern Seoul.

Ifans is a research institute affiliated with Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The institute has organized the annual Introduction of Korea for Foreign Diplomats program since 1999 in a bid to give new foreign diplomats an opportunity to learn a bit more about the country.

So far, over 350 foreign diplomats have participated in the program and the number is on the rise, according to Lee Jeong-hoon, second secretary of the Education and Training Division at Ifans.

This year’s two-day program (Nov. 26-27) featured diverse lectures with content ranging from Korean society and culture to political affairs.

“Perhaps due to the strong influence of Confucianism, homosexuals are seldom seen in Korean society. However, don’t be alarmed if you see two girls walking hand in hand because it is just a typical expression of youthful friendship in Korea,” Kim Seong-kon, a professor of English and comparative literature at Seoul National University, explained during his lecture on Korean society on Wednesday morning.

Following Kim was the presentation “Organic Power: Hallyu in Asia” by Park Jung-sook, an adjunct professor at Ifans.

Park is considered an authority on the topic as she performed in the Korean hit drama “Daejanggeum (Jewel in the Palace),” said to be one of the main triggers of hallyu, or the Korean wave.

She received a master’s degree from Columbia University with a dissertation on the unique cultural phenomena.

In her presentation, Park stressed that hallyu is an organic power that has grown from the bottom-up, as it started naturally and gained power as more people were drawn to Korean entertainment.

If the reaction from participants is anything to go by, the Korean foreign ministry’s efforts to help new diplomats are proving successful.

“Though I researched Korea before I came here, my knowledge of the country has improved further today thanks to Prof. Kim’s insightful lecture,” said Fonta Gilliam, a counselor officer at the U.S. Embassy in Korea, who has been here for about four months now.

“And the second lecture was a good opportunity for me to learn about hallyu, a unique cultural phenomenon that I had had little knowledge of,” she added.

“The program actually helps foreign diplomats who just arrived in Korea to better understand Korea and land well in a new country,” said Eric Vivien, science and technology attache at the French Embassy in Seoul, who arrived in Seoul just three weeks ago.

More lectures were planned for the second day, including intriguing topics like “Foreign Policy of the Republic of Korea,” by Noh Kwang-il, director-general for the Policy Planning Bureau at Mofat and “Security Situations in and around the Korean Peninsula” by Ifans Professor Jun Bong-geun.

“The program was considerably helpful for us to learn about Korea regarding its culture, society and foreign policy and it also shows that the Korean government takes care of foreign diplomats, particularly those who’ve just arrived here, which I think is very positive,” said Raoul Imbach, counsellor at the Swiss Embassy in Seoul.

After the morning session on Wednesday, the group of foreign diplomats headed to the National Museum of Korea where they could delve more into the traditional culture of the country.

“I appreciated the opportunity Mofat gave me to learn more about Korean culture through the lectures and the visit to the National Museum,” Kate English, head of press and public affairs at the British Embassy in Seoul, said.

“It was also useful to meet other newly arrived diplomats to share our initial experiences of Seoul,” she added.

By Park Sun-young Staff Reporter [spark0320@joongang.co.kr]