By Kim Sue-young
Korea Times Correspondent
QUITO, Ecuador ― For South Korean Ambassador to Ecuador Jang Keun-ho, one year here seems to be a short time to adapt himself, not to the diplomatic mission, but to the altitude of about 2,800 meters.
He has trouble having a deep sleep and frequently wakes up as if he has big worries in his mind.
``For that reason, ambassadors working in highland countries are sharing a joke _ eat less, walk slowly and sleep alone,'' he said.
Ambassador Jang is not the only one who is suffering from sleeplessness, fatigue and over sensitivity.
Five South Koreans at the embassy here have also suffered from different symptoms of altitude sickness such as headaches, digestion problems, shortness of breath upon exertion and insomnia.
``When it's 4 or 5 p.m., I feel so much pain in my head as if I work until late,'' said the ambassador.
His wife, who came to the Latin American country with him, even has high blood pressure due to altitude illness.
``She suddenly got the disease, so she is taking pills every day. Even though we go down to lower-altitude areas, I am not sure she will get better,'' said Jang.
The cause of altitude sickness is believed to be acute exposure to low air pressure but could not be understood exactly as it does not necessarily occur in low oxygen conditions at sea level pressure.
People who suffer the sickness are advised to avoid strenuous activities, drink plenty of water and take a pill, called acetazolamide, for mild cases.
That illness made Doo Jung-soo, now director general of the Latin American & Caribbean Affairs Bureau at the foreign ministry, live in substantial ``widowerhood'' during his diplomatic mission in Mexico in 2001.
As part of the resource diplomacy promoted by President Lee Myung-bak, a Korean delegation comprised of about 40 government officials and business leaders, dubbed the ``Economic Cooperation Caravan,'' began a trip to four resource-rich Latin American countries last week. The other three are Venezuela, Bolivia and Mexico.
When Doo was dispatched to the country at an altitude of 2,400 meters in 1999, things were fine for his wife at first. She enjoyed playing golf and learning dance, he recalled.
``But out of blue, she was almost dead because her pulse nosedived to 30-40. She couldn't do anything,'' he said.
At the hospital, doctors examined her heart for the low pulse and her stomach as well because she had digestion problems.
The director general said his wife was hospitalized three to four times afterward and would temporarily get better after being sick in bed for a couple of days.
``She flew to Seoul with a purse one day as soon as she left hospital, leaving me and the children behind,'' he said. ``So, I had to take care of the kids and deal with everything all alone for six months.''
An embassy on highlands is more dangerous to young female officials of the foreign ministry since the sickness and high atmospheric pressure often result in miscarriages.
Some pregnant women at the Korean Embassy in Bolivia at an altitude of nearly 3,600 meters lose their babies, Doo said.
What's more, being in a lower region is not the treatment for altitude illness.
``Some staff members have difficulty acclimatizing themselves to Seoul's lower altitude,'' he said. ``There are no medicines and preventative measures, so we cannot help but work on highlands.''
ksy@koreatimes.co.kr
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