Interview with South Korean Ambassador Hong on foreign policy, investment in Hungary and more
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Our latest interviewee is His Excellency Dr Hong Kyu Dok, Ambassador of South Korea to Hungary. During the interview, we discussed the situation in North and South Korea, Korean investments in Hungary and many other topics. Read the first interview of the year:
Daily News Hungary (DNH): Having lived in Hungary for quite a while, could you tell us a bit about your experience? What characteristics stand out about the Hungarian people, and how would you describe life for a Korean national in Budapest?
Ambassador Hong Kyudok: I have been living in Budapest for about 11 months now. I feel grateful and am always amazed by the way Hungarians greet me and my wife. I am so delighted that many Hungarians have shown their great interests in Korean culture. I sincerely thank them from the bottom of my heart. The Korean population living in Hungary has increased rapidly. Currently, we have almost 7,000 Korean nationals living here. If we include the 90-day visa waiver holders, the number goes up to more than 10,000. They enjoy being here. The safe environment is the thing they like most, and friendly attitude toward Koreans are remarkable. Compared with densely-populated Seoul, many people from Korea think that life here is pleasant and happier. Your culture that respects the elderly and family remind me of Korea in old days, and we feel at home since we have many commonalities.
DNH: South Korea is a major investor in Hungary, consistently ranking in the top three and employing tens of thousands of people. What do you believe is Hungary’s allure? Why do so many Korean companies come here?
Ambassador Hong Kyudok: About 310 Korean companies are investing in Hungary and many more are interested in coming to Hungary. You may wonder why. Your policy incentives including low corporate tax surely attract Korean companies. However, a qualified workforce as well as loyalties and strong sense of responsibility are major reasons, and those Korean managers are looking forward to having more Hungarians. Supply chain network and good connectivity towards European market seems to be strong incentives for Korean managers, too.
DNH: This close business partnership not only fosters economic ties but also presents promising prospects for the tourism industry. Despite the geographical distance, direct flights facilitate travel. In what areas can the collaborative development between the two nations be further explored?
Ambassador Hong Kyudok: Seven direct flights per week between Seoul and Budapest seems to be a strong asset for expanding bilateral relations. Currently, EV-battery related companies are prominent among Korean investors. However, I see there is room for more development in such areas including health care industry, cosmetics, animation and filming, food distribution and gastronomy business. Also, Arms industry as well as Aerospace, AI and Robotics of the futrue technology seem very promising areas that both can benefit from each other.
DNH: Focusing on tourism, could you recommend three must-visit places in South Korea for Hungarian tourists? And what are three Hungarian tourist attractions you’d suggest to your South Korean friends?
Ambassador Hong Kyudok: Busan, Jeju and Seorak Mountain are my favorite places to recommend to my Hungarian friends. If I add one more place, I strongly ask you to visit the De-militarised Zone near Panmunjeom, a bordering place where North and South Korea maintains its strong military presence after the Korean War ended in 1953. It is only less than an hour drive from downtown Seoul. My recommendation for three attraction points for Korean visitors will be Tokaj wineries, Hévíz, Hot Springs near Lake Balaton, and Szeged, the sunniest city in the South. Most Koreans only visit Budapest and I would like to convince them to look around the countryside.
DNH: South Korea boasts one of the strongest economies in the world, yet the birth rate is alarmingly low. How might this be addressed, and could the Hungarian family support model serve as a potential example for your country?
Ambassador Hong Kyudok: Regarding the low birth rate, we have failed to counter this trend despite spending billions of dollars to cope with this worrisome situation. However, we now understand that subsidising the mother alone cannot solve the problem. We are looking closely at the Hungarian cases and to learn how CSOK measures made differences. Restoring family values and education seems key to success. However, in Korea, single housing comprises 43% and life seems very competitive to get better education and a quality job. Children start competition as early as pre-school age. The cost for private tutoring is usually more expensive than you earn monthly. That is why the birth rate is around 0.7 and even getting lower. We feel that demographic challenge is a security issue and needs to be reformed urgently. Therefore, Hungarian best practices are openly discussed at Parliament and the policy circle.
WOW- camp are this guy to the US ambassador, DEI hire. Remember when trump walked across the military zone in Korea. The rockets that at were sent threating Japan and South Korea stopped,
And hostages were returned. The situation in Ukraine would have never happened if he was still president. Like Putin or not – he is a very intelligent. Orban is the only one in Europe to come close.