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Staff Reporter
The new dean of the diplomatic corps in Korea was full of praise for the Korean government for creating a friendly environment for foreign diplomats.
Vitali V. Fen, 60, who is also ambassador of Uzbekistan, said, ``The Korean government is very supportive, creating the necessary conditions for us, taking care of the corps, paying special attention to the corps,'' through an interpreter during an interview with The Korea Times.
After the former dean of the diplomatic corps, Alfredo F. Ungo, ambassador from El Salvador, left in September, Fen, who has been in Korea the longest at 12 years, worked as acting dean. On Oct. 30, he was officially appointed as the dean.
A garden party at Cheong Wa Dae and a diplomatic corps' excursion are the two main annual events organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MOFAT) for diplomats.
Besides the ministry briefs on current Korean issues, like the inter-Korean summit in October, other divisions of the ministry and other ministries independently organize events throughout the year, a MOFAT official said.
The Iftar Dinner, the evening meal for breaking the daily fast during the Islamic month of Ramadan, is organized by the Middle East Division at the foreign ministry for Muslim diplomats and the ambassador expressed special appreciation for it.
Ban Ki-moon, former minister of foreign affairs and trade, initiated the dinner in 2005.
``It is very pleasant to seethat this tradition continues down to Song Min-soon, incumbent minister of foreign affairs and trade,'' Fen said.
As dean, his volume of functions and duties is quite heavy. His essential duty is to attend events where he can represent the entire diplomatic community. An example was a visit by Queen Margrethe II of Denmark where Fen represented the foreign diplomats in Korea.
The dean hosts welcome receptions for new ambassadors in Korea, helping them ``get acquainted with this country.''
In addition to official appearances at public events, his duty also includes the support of individual diplomats.
Two weeks ago, for example, Fen made a hospital visit to Ambassador Kwadowo Afoakwa Sarpong of Ghana who has been in a coma for two months. Fen wished him well.
The ambassador first came to Korea in 1995 as charge d' Affairs, and was later appointed as ambassador in 1999.
Finishing his 12th year in Korea, he said the warm reception from the Korean people and a special attention paid to Korea by Uzbek President Islom Karimov have kept him here.
Fen is a third-generation Korean, and he has obvious Asian features.
Both his grandmothers and grandfathers were Korean immigrants to Vladivostok during the former Soviet Union. His parents were deported to Uzbekistan in 1937, and he was born in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. His wife Lyudmila is also of Korean descent.
The Fens are two of 230,000 ethnic Koreans living in Uzbekistan.
As a fluent Korean speaker, the Ambassador said he feels at home in Korea. He began learning Korean in 1988. In 1989, he made his first trip to Korea as member of a delegation who took part in the World Ethnic Korean Festival.
``I felt tremendous pride because of achievements and success,'' Fen continued, recalling his participation in the festival. ``We began to call ourselves hanguksaram (Koreans).''
Fen said that Uzbekistan is moving toward democracy through a ``stage-by-stage" program. "We have chosen a path to democracy. Uzbekistan ranked 62nd in the global competitiveness report by the World Economic Forum. It is very important to move forward.'' he said.
skim@koreatimes.co.kr
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