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.
Dominican Republic celebrates 178th anniversary of independence
Ambassador of the Dominican Republic to Korea Federico Alberto Cuello Camilo, right, and Choi Jong-uk, Director General for the Latin American and Caribbean Affairs Bureau at Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs pose for a photo during a ceremony commemorating the 178th anniversary of the declaration of independence of the Dominican Republic at a hotel in Seoul, Feb. 23. Courtesy of Embassy of the Dominican Republic to Korea
By Kwon Mee-yoo
By Kwon Mee-yoo
The Embassy of Dominican Republic in Korea held a ceremony commemorating the 178th anniversary of its independence, Feb. 23.
At the event, the Caribbean nation vowed to boost cooperation with Korea in the near future, as the two countries celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties this year.
Ambassador of the Dominican Republic to Korea Federico Alberto Cuello Camilo announced that the embassy will host the first Dominican Week in Korea in June with a visit by Dominican Minister of Industry and Trade and director of the Dominican-Korean Chamber of Commerce.
“Suffice to say that the cycle that will then come through has proven to be extremely fruitful, with generous cooperation, finance and investment in areas of relevance for our sustained economic growth and diversification consistent with Korea's visionary development policies,” the ambassador said.
Cuello also pointed out how fast the economy of the Dominican Republic is recovering from the COVID-19 crisis.
"Today, I can say with confidence that the Dominican Republic has turned the page exporting medical devices and electronics as never before... The economy is 4.7 percent bigger than it was in 2019, before the crisis. This was the fastest pace of recovery by any country in the Americas," he said.
"Following on the leadership of several members of the Latin American Caribbean region, I am aiming for a new strategic relationship between the Dominican Republic and the Republic of Korea to be sealed at the highest level here in Seoul hopefully this year. This will be the way for us to launch our joint efforts in decarbonization, digitalization and decentralization of national development and intelligent cities.”
The ambassador also unveiled that Dominican musician Michel Camilo will hold a concert in Seoul later this year, funded by the Korea Foundation.
Choi Jong-uk, Director General of the Latin American and Caribbean Affairs Bureau at Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, delivered congratulatory remarks on the Dominican Republic's independence as well as the 60th anniversary of ties.
Choi recalled his visit to the Dominican capital Santo Domingo in 2013 as a member of the delegation for digital government cooperation.
"In the beautiful and historical city, I went to the Altar de la Patria. Entering the gracious altar, looking at the statues of Juan Pablo Duarte, the founding father of the Dominican Republic, I could feel the strong aspiration for the independence and pride at achieving it," Choi said.
"I believe the glorious history of the Dominican Republic to overcome the long and winding challenge, has been a great legacy of today's Dominican Republic, a Caribbean country thriving in all fields, including politics, economy and culture."
The director general showed hopes to further widen bilateral partnership in the fields of energy and infrastructure.
"I hope 2022 will be marked as a 'buen ano' (good year) for both countries, as the two countries, tied with strong solidarity could successfully enter a post-COVID era with resilience," Choi said.