KOREA FOUNDATION

You served as Minister Counselor at the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations, as the Foreign Ministry Director-General for Development and Cooperation, and as Minister and Deputy Chief for Economic Affairs at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Beijing before taking the office of Public Diplomacy Ambassador. While there is growing attention to public diplomacy, the term is not yet familiar to many citizens. Please give us your notion of public diplomacy.

Unlike the standard diplomacy that targets governments of other nations, public diplomacy appeals to the peoples of other countries. We work to form a friendly environment in the mid- to long-term perspective by helping the people of each nation learn fascinating things about Korea and by communicating with their leaders about the vision, philosophy, and policies of our country. When a nation decides on a policy, it is greatly influenced by public opinion. When the people of a foreign country have favorable thoughts about Korea, our government’s policy goals can be achieved much more easily. The United States, Japan, and China, as well as such middle powers as Australia and Mexico, are spending considerable budget and energy on public diplomacy. Competition in the field is so intense that the term “public diplomacy war” has come into use.

Are there any differences between serving in a foreign country as an ambassador and working in the homeland as the Ambassador for Public Diplomacy? If there are, would you tell us about them?

When I am assigned to a country, I focus on the bilateral relationship. As a bridge linking the two sides, I try to maximize our national interest in such fields as politics, economy, culture, and security. As the Ambassador for Public Diplomacy, I do the role of the headquarters control tower of diplomacy that will be carried out across the world, setting the direction and strategy, and sending out directives. When I am on overseas mission, I meet diverse people and feel the sense of being on the spot, with liveliness and great dynamics. Here at the headquarters, I feel rewarded as much as I am overwhelmed with the great sense of responsibility.

A few months ago, you attended the Korea-China Public Diplomacy Forum held in Jeju Island. Given the current bilateral relationship, the forum attracted the keenest attention as a rare official meeting involving both governments. Were there any memorable discussions?

The bilateral relations are tense for political and security issues. To turn the situation around, leaders of the two countries should actively engage in public diplomacy that forms a bond of sympathy and shares the need for improvement of ties. At the forum, I was especially impressed by the consensus reached among the participants from the two sides that the two nations should not forget their resolve at the time of establishing the diplomatic relationship and continue to build solidarity for peace and stability as well as prosperity.

Do you have any concrete direction for public diplomacy to improve the Korea-China ties?

The two countries are close neighbors that have maintained ties over thousands of years. On the basis of this long history and the time-honored relationship, we will positively promote exchange of youths, who are the key figures of the future. We need to heavily invest in making the two peoples become genuine partners by freeing them from the exclusive patriotism or chauvinistic prioritizing of each of their nations. Koreans and Chinese do not understand each other well. The Chinese people know about Hallyu, but their understanding of Korea’s history and situation is rather limited, and vice versa. Mutual understanding is the basis of greater tolerance, and I would like to enhance it in the mid- and long-term perspectives.

The Foreign Ministry has built the foundation for systematic public diplomacy by establishing a basic plan and designating institutions for the mission in the first meeting of the Public Diplomacy Committee in August. When the basic plan is implemented, what changes do you think will follow?

Our start for public diplomacy is a little late, but the energy of the Korean society will undoubtedly work as a competitive power. So far, our public diplomacy efforts were made by the government and the local administrations in the absence of integrated guidelines. During the committee meeting, a five-year basic plan was created for government-wide implementation of a common vision and strategy that will enable all ministries and local administrations to work under one guideline. It is significant that the plan has paved the way for more effective and strategic public diplomacy.

Written by Park Shin-won