By Cho Hyun
VIENNA ― 120 years ago, Korea and Austria established diplomatic relations, an occasion that will be duly celebrated in 2012.
This year the Republic of Korea and the Republic of Austria will celebrate the 120-year jubilee of the establishment of diplomatic relations.
At the end of the 19th century, King Gojong tried everything in order to protect his sovereignty and began to establish diplomatic relations with important nations in Europe, such as the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Despite his efforts, however, the dynasty became the victim of Japanese colonialism.
During the Japanese rule, many young Koreans participated in the independence movement. Syngman Rhee was one such freedom fighter and later became the first president of the Republic of Korea.
In his youth, he traveled throughout Europe in order to increase understanding of Korea among other countries and to advance Korea’s independence movement.
On these journeys, he met a young woman named Franziska Donner from Vienna. They married in 1934 and spent their life together until the President’s death in 1965. This first lady of the Republic of Korea was from Austria, which reveals how closely the two countries were connected with one another from the start.
Today the Korean people are well-to-do, and Korea’s economic performance rivals that of most European countries. This wealth makes it possible for us to engage in cultural exchanges with other countries.
In this manner, classical music arrived from Austria to Korea and where it was received with great acclaim. It is, therefore, hardly surprising that approximately 700 South Korean students study music at universities in Austria.
Some are members of the Austrian-Korean Philharmonic, which was established in 1999 by U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, then ambassador of the Republic of Korea in Vienna.
With 18 weekly direct flights, visiting this high technology country with its great diversity, beautiful landscapes and remarkable cultural heritage is a simple affair.
In many sectors, the exchanges between Korea and Austria have already resulted in advancements. For example, the Korean enterprise POSCO, one of the largest steel producers in the world today, has been a close partner of Voestalpine since the 1970s and owes its current standing to the technical expertise it received from Linz.
Korea and Austria will soon sign a “Working Holiday Program” agreement, the second of its kind from the Austrian side, which will enable young people to visit and work in the partner country. A number of Austrians will be able to acquire experience at Samsung, Kia, LG or Hyundai, for instance.
This year will be an important year for Korea and Austria. In the course of the 120-year jubilee, various institutes, museums and galleries in both countries will cooperate in order to celebrate this occasion.
Different events to promote cultural exchanges and exchanges of views between our peoples are planned. These include an exhibition of works by Egon Schiele and Gustav Klimt in Seoul.
Korea and Austria are both middle-sized countries, but they share similar values of democracy, a free-market economy and guaranteed human rights. Such shared values make it possible to build a solid foundation for a strong partnership so both countries can achieve growth and prosperity.
Cho Hyun is the ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Austria. Contact him at hcho79@mofat.go.kr.