Often found at theaters and museums, Kwon Mee-yoo has covered a wide range of cultural fields from K-pop and dramas to theater and fine art for over a decade. Now as K-Culture Desk editor, she tries to connect Korean culture with global readers through fresh perspectives.
INTERVIEW Dominican ambassador seeks more opportunities with Korea
Ambassador of the Dominican Republic to Korea Federico Alberto Cuello Camilo speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at the country's embassy in central Seoul, Feb. 10. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
By Kwon Mee-yoo
By Kwon Mee-yoo
Although Latin American countries were hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, some are recovering fast. The Dominican Republic is one of them.
According to the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic, the Caribbean nation's GDP grew 12.3 percent in 2021. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the economy is 4.7 percent bigger than it was in 2019, following the steep decline caused by the pandemic.
"This means that in 2021, we are already well above where we were in 2019. This sustained recovery has not come by chance. This is the result of active policies from the government. In particular, the central bank ensured credit available for the private sector to continue growing," Ambassador of the Dominican Republic to Korea Federico Alberto Cuello Camilo told The Korea Times at the country's embassy in central Seoul, Feb. 10.
On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations, the ambassador aims to help the Caribbean country build a stronger presence in Korea with an emphasis on post-pandemic recovery.
"Here in Korea, (we are) very proud of what we have achieved and with a lot of hope that we can achieve even more. There are booming trade and investment flows from Korea to Latin America and in particular to the Dominican Republic, seeking to take advantage of the export opportunities from the Dominican Republic to surrounding markets," said the ambassador, who has been posted in Korea for about a year.
However, nearshoring is not the only reason for Korean companies to make their way to the island nation.
"More and more Korean companies are coming to the Dominican Republic to take advantage of the construction opportunities in key infrastructure areas such as electricity generation and light rail and interurban railway construction,” he said.
"We have been very actively engaging with Korea's private sector and government institutions to ensure that everyone seizes the opportunities available. Korean investors, as a result, are tendering for public projects in these infrastructures of strategic importance.”
The ambassador emphasized that the vast infrastructure needs of the Dominican Republic open up new opportunities for Korean companies.
"The reason why the Dominican Republic has the highest average growth in Latin America for the last 30 years is because we have never stopped investing in infrastructure. Our present needs can be met very well by Korean companies as we make the transition to a decarbonized future, not only in the energy generation, but also in transportation."
The Alcazar of Columbus in Santo Domingo, capital of the Dominican Republic, is the site of the first Spanish viceroyalty of the Americas. Courtesy of the Embassy of the Dominican Republic in Korea
Learning from Korea
The Dominican Republic celebrates its Independence Day on Feb. 27 ― one of the country's three national days.
"In terms of independence, we are probably one of the few countries in the world that has three national days. We celebrate the second one. The first National Day is the independence from Spain, Dec. 1, 1821. But that was the 'ephemeral independence' because a few months afterwards Haiti invaded us," Ambassador Cuello said.
"During those 22 years, Dominicans were told not to use our language, not to study our culture, as from then on they belonged to a different country. Even our university, the oldest in the Americas, was closed and remained so for many decades afterwards."
On Feb. 27, 1844, the Dominican Republic separated from Haiti. This is the date Dominicans celebrate as their national day.
"Unfortunately, there was a third moment, the annexation of the Dominican Republic by Spain. But in 1865, we were free again as an independent country. The restoration is celebrated every Aug. 16."
The ambassador said both the Dominican Republic and Korea have been occupied by foreign powers and also share the experience of overcoming poverty.
"In the 50s after the Korean War, the Korean GDP per capita was lower than that of the Dominican Republic at the time. Now it's five times higher than that. We have a long way to go to match what Korea has achieved, but the important thing about Korea is that it is a very generous partner, willing to share its experience through a coherent approach between cooperation, investment and trade policies," he said.
Ambassador Cuello cited the Knowledge Sharing Program (KSP) as an example.
"We have found a very fertile ground here in Korea when it comes to the process of learning from experience... We concluded a very important KSP on the needs for the electronics industry to match expectations of Korean investors. That is a landmark study that my authorities and my private sector is looking at very closely so that we can seize the opportunities and attract a massive presence of Korean producers," he said.
“We are working on a new KSP with Korea's Presidential Committee for Balanced National Development on the issue of decentralization of development and relying on the creation of industrial clusters that can integrate export-oriented production with domestic production, training of manpower and research and development. It's a key element in the Korean development strategy. Both President Luis Abinader and his government are fully behind this approach.”
Cabarete Beach on the North cost of the Dominican Republic is famous for international kite and windsurfing competitions. Courtesy of the Embassy of the Dominican Republic in Korea
The way to green transition
Ambassador Cuello has another plan for the 60th anniversary commemorations ― organizing a state visit with a big delegation including the Dominican baseball team, “for a rematch of our game during the Olympics, which got us our first-ever medal for our favorite national pastime."
"We are very ambitious for our goals this year. We hope to have a state visit as soon as is feasible. We are mindful that there are elections and a new government is coming and this creates the opportunity for President Luis Abinader of the Dominican Republic to engage with the new (Korean) president that will be elected," the ambassador said.
"As a result of the celebration, we hope to have an ambitious outcome that can reflect the expectations of both countries by signing a state-to-state agreement covering all the areas of strategic importance for the next decades as we make the transition to a decarbonized economy."
The Dominican Republic is still in its early stages with regards to climate action and the ambassador sees many possibilities for cooperation with Korea.
"The first thing is to come up with a 'Dominican Green New Deal.' We need a blueprint. We do not yet have it. What we have is the political decision that is serious and reflected in the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) for the COP26 (United Nations Climate Change Conference) in Glasgow where it was very well-received," he said.
"We are committed to investing $8 billion per year, but this is a very early approach. We need a Dominican Green New Deal to guide us for the next decades between now and 2050, so we can achieve carbon neutrality. Looking at the Korean Green New Deal, it's clear what we need to do. We need to make a transition towards carbon-neutral production in all sectors ― agriculture, industry, energy, transportation, households and services. The whole economy needs to transform itself. So in light of the Korean experience, we need a blueprint for decarbonization. It's something that's very easy to speak about, but very hard to do."
The ambassador also noted that a free trade agreement between the two countries is needed to make the exchanges for the green transition more competitive.
"It's going to be win-win for everybody. Without free trade, the cost of making the energy transition is going to be much higher for the Dominican economy. Once this takes place at the best possible price, free trade with Korea is going to be the most competitive supply," he said.
Ambassador Cuello attributed his country's endless creativity to its resilience.
"Our reaction to the many challenges that we face ― we're in the trajectory of the hurricanes and we are in an active area for earthquakes. So the fact that we have to be resilient in the face of adversity means we have to do the best we can. There are many challenges, but we have the desire and we have demonstrated the capacity for growth and development. I am sure that working in partnership with Korea, we can reach the next level we need to reach to be able to improve on our performance," he said.