Finnish Ambassador to South Korea Matti Heimonen commemorated his country’s Flag Day of the Defense Forces with the embassy’s new defense attache, Navy Capt. Kariu Huhtala, at Heimonen’s residence in Seongbuk-dong in Seoul on June 9.

This year’s Flag Day marked the first time it was commemorated with an accredited defense attache. When Finland and South Korea celebrated the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations last year, Finland expanded ties by opening a defense wing of the embassy.

“International security threats are multiple. There are more and more so called ‘new threats,’ such as climate change, food security and cyber security,” Heimonen said. 

The ambassador highlighted the Conference for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which was signed in the Finnish capital of Helsinki in 1975 ― the so-called “Helsinki Process” ― which morphed in 1990 into the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe, the largest international group of its kind in the world.

The OSCE is both criticized and credited for playing a limited role of “collective security” in Europe and parts of Asia. South Korean officials have sometimes looked to it as a case study for a possible East Asian regional security system in developing the ASEAN Regional Forum and the East Asian Summit.

Next year will see the OSCE’s 40th anniversary.

“The so called Helsinki Process was a kind of miracle that has also been referred to here in Korea. Regional peace and cooperation are goals also in this part of the world. We would be most willing to share our European experiences with (Korea),” Heimonen said.

By Philip Iglauer (ephilip2014@heraldcorp.com)