Why not allow Fu Bao to return to Korea?

YOU SANG-CHUL
The author is the CEO of China Lab.

Fu Bao is a natural born diplomat. His birth itself is the result of panda diplomacy. It was in 1994 that a panda, a symbol of China, came to Korea for the first time, two years after Korea and China established diplomatic ties. The male Ming Ming and female Li Li were sent, but it turned out that Ming Ming was also a female.

They did not stay long. In the wake of the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis, Korea could not afford to raise the pandas and sent them back in 1999. The annual rental fee for a pair of pandas is $1 million.

After the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the Washington Convention, came into effect, the sale or donation of rare animals to other countries was banned. Therefore, China now engages in panda diplomacy as a long-term lease with a rental fee, which is used for panda preservation in China, according to Chinese authorities.

Bringing a panda to Korea again was discussed when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited in 2014. This reflects the friendly relationship between the Park Geun-hye and Xi Jinping governments in the early days.

As a result, Le Bao and Ai Bao, the parents of Fu Bao, came to Korea in March 2016 to mark the 40th anniversary of Everland’s opening. Coincidentally, the Thaad crisis occurred in July of that year. In early 2020, Covid-19 hit the Korean Peninsula. Korea-China relations were frozen.

In the meantime, Fu Bao was born in Yongin, Gyeonggi, where the theme park is located, on July 20, 2020. The first panda to be born in Korea, Fu Bao earned the nickname of “Yongin Fu.” The panda became a beacon of hope to brighten Korea-China relations at a difficult time.

Fu Bao has been seen in public since 2021 and has met 5.5 million visitors over the past three years. The panda is leaving Korea on April 3, according to the agreement on the conservation of endangered species, which requires pandas to be returned to China before turning 4. The farewell meetings were heated. Visitors lined up from 3 a.m. for a 10 a.m. opening. Fu Bao has successfully carried out the mission of fostering friendship between the two countries.

But the mission is unlikely to end after Fu Bao goes back to China. Korean tourists may form a group to see Fu Bao in China. A potential groom for Fu Bao has been introduced. Her uninterrupted popularity in Korea could pose an unexpected burden on China. If Fu Bao fails to adjust to her new life, Beijing could suffer criticism.

In this case, the solution is quite simple: China can send Fu Bao back to Korea. Many Chinese diplomats came to work at their embassy in Korea multiple times. Why not give such a chance to Fu Bao?