Unlike ordinary ambassadors who are primarily concerned with international politics, we are lucky to have many European ambassadors who are deeply interested in cultural exchanges. These ambassadors run excellent cultural centers at their embassies, allowing the Korean people to gain a deeper understanding of their home countries, while also enthusiastically learning about our country’s culture and society.

Ambassador Jaroslav Olsa of the Czech Republic is one such outstanding example of a true cultural ambassador. Olsa is a renowned writer and former publisher who is an expert on science fiction. Since the start of his term, the ambassador visited the Literature Translation Institute of Korea (LTI Korea) several times to discuss cultural exchange opportunities between Korea and the Czech Republic. 

Thanks to his help, LTI Korea will publish Korean literary works at Argo, the renowned Czech publisher based in Prague. Olsa has also compiled a science fiction writers’ companion, in which he included Korean sci-fi writers. In addition, he has promoted Czech literature in Korea by arranging the translation and publication of representative Czech novelists and poets. Moreover, he brought Alena Hanakova, the Czech Republic’s minister of culture, to Korea, strengthening cultural ties between the two countries. Indeed, Olsa has done a splendid job as a cultural ambassador.

Ambassador Lars Danielsson of Sweden is also an artist who is deeply interested in and greatly knowledgeable about Korean literature. As president of the Seoul Literary Society, a foreign diplomats’ club that studies Korean literature, Danielsson has played an important role in introducing Korean literature not only to European diplomats, but also to Swedish readers.

Thanks to the efforts of the ambassador and his predecessors, three Korean writers, Ko Un, Shin Kyung-rim and Moon Chung-hee, have been awarded the prestigious Cicada Prize from Sweden, and their works will be published in Stockholm. At the last meeting of the Seoul Literary Society, Danielsson invited three famous Korean writers as guest speakers to celebrate its 30th meeting. Kim Yeon-su, Kim In-sook and Pyon Hye-young fascinated the audience with their unique literary worlds.

Recently, Hungarian Ambassador Mikls Lengyel wrote a book on Korea entitled “Korea, Pearl of Asia,” to be published in Budapest this year. In the book, Lengyel writes about the inner beauty of Korean culture with his unique perspective as a cultural diplomat. This book will significantly contribute to the promotion of Korean culture overseas by unveiling the latent charm of Korean society. Foreign tourists will also greatly benefit from Lengyel’s book which provides illuminating insights into Korean culture.

Other high-ranking cultural diplomats include Ambassador Calin Fabian of Romania, Ambassador Tuvia Isralei of Israel, and Director of the British Council Roland Davies. They all are ardent readers of Korean literature and active participants in the Seoul Literary Society meetings. The British Council and LTI Korea are currently arranging a joint conference of Korean and British writers, commemorating the London International Book Fair at which Korea will be honored as the Guest of Honor country.

When it comes to cultural ambassadors, I cannot omit Radinck J. van Vollenhoven, former ambassador of the Netherlands. Reading my Korea Herald columns, he came to see me at Seoul National University and gave me a copy of Hamel’s Journal and a Description of the Kingdom of Korea, 1653-1666.

During his tenure, Vollenhoven also did a superb job as a cultural ambassador, bridging Korea and the Netherlands. I was deeply impressed by his in-depth knowledge of Korean culture and history.

There are several other former ambassadors who also were memorable cultural ambassadors. Former Malaysian Ambassador Dato M. Santhananaban was a splendid cultural diplomat. Thanks to his friendship, I was introduced to the colorful culture and cuisine of Malaysia. Former German Ambassador Michael Geier, too, was an unforgettable cultural ambassador whose interest in cultural exchange between Korea and Germany enabled many Koreans to understand and appreciate German culture.

Sometimes I wonder if our own diplomats stationed in foreign countries serve as true cultural ambassadors. I am certain that many Korean diplomats are experts on the countries they are sent to and are adept at cultural exchange. There may be others, however, who are appointed as ambassadors simply because of their friendship with the president. These types of diplomats are often ignorant of their host country’s culture and language, cannot join in on cultural conversations, and unwittingly make embarrassing mistakes.

Like the excellent ambassadors mentioned above, we expect our ambassadors to be cultural ambassadors. As cultural ambassadors, they should deeply understand and skillfully communicate the cultural meanings of our cuisine, costume and customs. In addition, they should also be experts on the country in which they are stationed. Ultimately, therefore, they should have a wide perspective and the ability to compare the two cultures insightfully and persuasively.

The power of culture always surpasses the power of politics. One cannot overstress the importance of cultural understanding in the realm of diplomacy. Indeed, many conflicts between countries stem from cultural misunderstandings, and can be solved by meaningful cultural exchange. We hope Korea’s ambassadors can be cultural ambassadors. 

By Kim Seong-kon

Kim Seong-kon is a professor of English at Seoul National University and president of the Literature Translation Institute of Korea. He can be reached at sukim@snu.ac.kr. ― Ed.