Jon Dunbar is a copy editor at The Korea Times, as well as editor of the Foreign Community page and curator of the Korea Times Archive. If you have suggestions for possible articles, or wish to contribute articles yourself, contact jdunbar@koreatimes.co.kr.
British ambassador to give RAS talk on missions to both Koreas
British Ambassador Colin Crooks gives a speech during the RAS Korea Garden Party held at his official residence in central Seoul, Sept. 16, 2023. Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar
By Jon Dunbar
Royal Asiatic Society (RAS) Korea invites the British ambassador to give a talk right after the Lunar New Year long weekend. As British ambassador to Korea, Colin Crooks also holds the title of honorary president of RAS Korea, the world's oldest Korean studies organization founded in 1900.
Crooks' relationship with the Korean Peninsula has a history dating back about 30 years. After joining the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO; now the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) in 1992, he underwent Korean language training from 1993 to 1995. He then held a few positions, including as secretary at the British Embassy in Seoul. In 2008, he became charge d'affaires at the British Embassy in North Korea, before taking on other assignments elsewhere.
He returned to Pyongyang in 2018, serving as British ambassador to North Korea until the embassy closed in 2021 during the pandemic. Since 2022, he has been ambassador to the South.
His talk, titled "UK and Two Koreas," will begin at 7:30 next Tuesday at the fifth-floor conference room of Fast Five Tower near Seoul City Hall. Admission costs 10,000 won, or 5,000 won for students with valid ID and is free for RAS Korea members.
Visit raskb.com for more information.