[INTERVIEW] Hungary wants peace in Ukraine, continued int'l cooperation

Gladden Pappin, president of the Hungarian Institute of Foreign Affairs, speaks with the Korea JoongAng Daily at the Embassy of Hungary in Seoul on Friday. [PARK SANG-MOON]

Hungary described lately in global media headlines may be far from the actual policy discussions within Budapest, the new head of the Hungarian Institute of Foreign Affairs said.

"It's certainly the case that the international media don't always present the Hungarian position accurately," Gladden Pappin told the Korea JoongAng Daily during his recent visit to Seoul.

Responding to recent media reports on Hungary's reportedly close ties with Russia, he said, "Hungary is in favor of the peaceful resolution of the conflict in Ukraine as soon as possible."

Hungary has been in the spotlight for the past year or so, partly due to its and Turkey's continued opposition to Sweden's accession to NATO.

Hungary's parliament approved Finland's bid to join the alliance in March, ending the months of delay since the Nordic nation sharing a border with Russia decided to join the alliance following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February last year.

Pappin's visit to Seoul, part of his larger tour involving other nations such as China and Qatar, was partly to strengthen Hungary's existing ties with Korea but also to ensure the Hungarian Institute of Foreign Affairs, which has transformed earlier this year to serve as a foreign policy advisory body for the prime minister, is informed of other regional perspectives in addressing geopolitical rivalries or tensions.

Pappin comes with research experiences in the United States. He received his doctorate in government at Harvard University and taught at the University of Dallas and the University of Notre Dame.

"We think that now Hungary is a place where the changing world order can be seen relatively clearly," he said. "And we think that we can offer a model of what careful engagement with that changing world looks like."

Korea, often in a position to balance among superpowers, has visibly emphasized in its current administration its alliance with the United States when it comes to its security and defense policies in light of military provocations from North Korea.

"Hungary and South Korea occupy very different geographical situations. Nevertheless, I can see certain similarities based on the complicated nature of supply chains and the balancing among different powers that's necessary," Pappin said.

Korea was the No. 1 investor in Hungary in 2021, a title it won for the second time after 2019.

In 2022, Korean companies, including SK On and Samsung SDI, invested a total of $4.7 billion, according to the Export-Import Bank of Korea.

"We are concerned about the tendencies to undo the kind of economic cooperation that has enabled us to improve our economy and industrial capacity over the last couple of decades, for which South Korean investment has been a crucial part as well," he said.

During his three-day visit, Pappin met with his counterparts at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy and experts at the East Asia Institute and the Institute for National Security Strategy.

BY ESTHER CHUNG [chung.juhee@joongang.co.kr]