By Kim Se-jeong
Staff Reporter
For the new Costa Rican ambassador, his religious conviction completes his personal life, and takes his diplomatic obligation to the next level.
The ambassador Fernando Borbon said, ``It's like the perfect complementary responsibility I do with great satisfaction and with the plan of Jesus Christ in my life.''
He came to Korea in early October and was greeted by a group of Korean pastors at Incheon International Airport.
He already had connections with Korea through churches long before he was assigned to Korea as a diplomat.
His religious conviction is the most visible when he is off-duty. He never misses any of the three services held on Sundays. Sometimes, he attends Friday night services, which start at 11 p.m. and end at 4 a.m. the next morning. His favorite book is the Bible.
He is attending the Manmin Joongang Church, located in Guro-gu, from which several missionaries in Costa Rica are from, he said.
In Costa Rica, more than 90 percent of population are Christians and it is a frequent destination for missionaries, especially Korean missionaries.
The ambassador said Korea is a blessed country with many people of faith and vision. Korean people are absolutely zealous for God and their growth in faith.
To the ambassador, the high-tech country is a very giving and generous country, especially to Costa Rica.
Korea donates medical equipment to Costa Rican hospitals where up-to-date medical technology is quite hard to obtain. Also several Costa Rican doctors were given the chance to receive medial equipment training at a Korean hospital.
He would love other countries to invest in Costa Rica. ``We are looking into getting some medical aid from Korea," he said.
He said not only they (the Costa Rican people) believe in Asian medicine, but also, with the government-supported medical care, the demand for medicine from the government level is enormous. ``We want Korean investment in factories.''
Costa Rica was elected as a member of the Security Council at the General Assembly of the United Nation two weeks ago. Costa Rica obtained 179 votes out of 192 members of the U.N.
``This is a strong support of the international community to the Costa Rican tradition of no army, promotion in human rights and support of the multilateral instrument,'' the ambassador said. ``Our goal as member of the Security Council will be to legally bind international agreement establishing a set of basic rules to regulate the international transfer of conventional arms.''
Costa Rica is the only country that does not have an army due to their belief in maintaining peace with a police force, and in regional and international support if an invasion happens, which Costa Rica actually experienced in 1978.
``Nicaragua tried to invaded Costa Rica. But when they did, all countries called to help us. We don't need it,'' the ambassador said.
It's been 59 years since Costa Rica was declared as an army-free nation.
More practically, the ambassador said the idea was conceived to ``put its resources into education, social development and infrastructure,'' and it actually bore fruit, Borbon said. ``This has led to a higher literacy rate than most countries can claim. Those resources have developed a highly trained work force that can enable companies and industries to decide to invest in Costa Rica.''
The Costa Rican government initiated a seven-year plan of expansion in the high-tech industry, and offers tax exemptions for foreign investors in its territory. Intel, a Computer chip manufacturing company has a factory there and pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline established a manufacturing line as well.