Swiss ambassador reflects on 4 transformative years in Korea

Swiss Ambassador to Korea Dagmar Schmidt Tartagli / Courtesy of Bereket Alemayehu

Dagmar Schmidt Tartagli is nearing the end of her time as Switzerland’s ambassador to Korea, four transformative years marked by diplomacy, cultural exchange and personal discovery.

From milestone moments like the 60th anniversary of Switzerland-Korea diplomatic ties to quiet walks on Mount Inwang, the ambassador shared vivid memories, thoughtful insights and the lessons she will carry forward as she prepares to bid farewell to the country that has left a lasting mark on both her professional journey and family life.

She spoke to The Korea Times on June 3. Below are some of her comments.

Q. Looking back at your time here, what moment stands out most vividly to you, both personally and professionally?

A. Among the many milestones during my time here, the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties in 2023 was one of the most significant. It served as a cornerstone for deepening our bilateral engagement, marked by high-level exchanges, a rich cultural program and an MoU (memorandum of understanding) aimed at enhancing cooperation in research fields such as life sciences, digital innovation and quantum technologies. This milestone underscored the growing partnership between Switzerland and Korea across a wide range of areas — often driven by bottom-up, people-to-people connections and supported at the institutional level.

In particular, the signing of the MoU took place during the Swiss-Korean Innovation Week, our flagship event that brings together the entire embassy team to showcase Swiss innovation, both within our premises and throughout the city. The event is organized in close cooperation with many Korean partners from science, business, the creative industries and the field of science diplomacy.

On the economic front, our ties in trade and investment have continued to grow. In 2026, we will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Korea-EFTA (European Free Trade Association) Free Trade Agreement, an important opportunity to modernize the agreement and align it with today's evolving economic landscape.

Another powerful moment was our collaboration in the multilateral sphere. While both countries served as nonpermanent members of the U.N. Security Council, we co-hosted the exhibition Digital Dilemmas with the ICRC, the Korean National Red Cross, KOICA and with the support of MOFA (Ministry of Foreign Affairs). Held at the War Memorial of Korea, the exhibition explored the protection of civilians in the digital age and commemorated the 75th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions. The occasion was further highlighted by the visit of the president of the Swiss Council of States. Switzerland has also maintained a long-standing commitment to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula for over 70 years through its participation in the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission (NNSC), marking its very first engagement in a military peace mission abroad.

We also opened up our embassy courtyard, Madang, to the public and hosted memorable exhibitions. In 2022, we presented Spaceless, a collaboration between Swiss and Korean photographers who reimagined urban spaces through artistic interpretation, curated by professor Kyungwoo Chung. The exhibition was later shown at the Swiss Pavilion of the Gwangju Biennale, and subsequently at Art Space Lumos in Daegu, reaching an even wider audience of art enthusiasts. Most recently, in April this year, we showcased the exhibition SOIL, which reflected the deep ties between soil and humanity. Based on the book "JeongKwan Snim – Her Korean Temple Cuisine" by the Swiss publisher Echtzeit, the exhibition also featured a book talk.

All of this was made possible thanks to our strong and diverse embassy team, as well as our dedicated Korean partners. Professionally, it has been deeply rewarding to witness how vibrant and dynamic our bilateral relationship has become. Of course, the launch of a new direct flight between Switzerland and Korea, welcoming more tourists, students, scientists and businesses, is another key milestone that reflects our deepening exchange.

These years have been truly special for me.

Q. What surprised you the most when you first arrived in Korea, and what has since become familiar or enduring for you?

A. When I first arrived, I was surprised by how big Seoul is — but even more so by how well-organized it is and how easy it is to walk here. I was amazed by the many green spaces and how you can move from park to park, or walk along the wide sidewalks. There’s Mount Nam in the middle of the city, and mountains all around — I really enjoyed this cityscape.

I was also surprised by how busy people are — how carefully they schedule their days with work, social life and family. Over time, these things became familiar to me and made me appreciate Seoul’s balance of urban life and nature.

Q. You have served in various global postings, including in West Africa and Europe. How did your role as ambassador in Korea differ or progress compared to your previous assignments?

A. Every place is unique, but Korea is very special because of its geographical location and then also our content is very much linked to where there's a lot of interest from Switzerland — especially in business, science and technology.

Here, almost half of our embassy team works in the business hub and our science and technology office, plus we have a tourism office, which all reinforce our strong diplomatic and consular team, including public affairs and culture. This makes the embassy a true platform for Swiss-Korean relations. In Europe, like when I was in Rome, relationships with neighboring countries are naturally close, and people often have personal ties that go beyond what the embassy does. Here in Seoul, we are many kilometers away from Switzerland, so the embassy is truly the heart of bilateral relations — not only politically but also for business, science, culture and people-to-people exchanges.

We also have strong cooperation with the private sector — through the Swiss-Korean Business Council, the Life Science Initiative and the Swiss Fund Korea. So the embassy is really a meeting place — a platform that creates and strengthens connections. Having this team, this infrastructure and this mission has been a privilege.

Q. In your day-to-day life, outside your official duties, what aspects of Korean culture have you personally connected with?

Korean food, for sure! I’ve become a big fan of fermented food, kimchi included, even if it’s a cliche! I enjoy the huge variety of Korean cuisine and the way people come together to share food and drink — for example, drinking makgeolli with a meal.

I love how Korean culture blends tradition with modernity — traditional hanoks alongside contemporary architecture — and how much people reflect on that connection. I also enjoy visiting exhibitions, whether they are about traditional ceramics and paintings or contemporary art. Ceramics are a particular passion of mine.

Traveling within Korea is something I love, too — the sea in Busan, the countryside in Suncheon and Gangjin, the islands and coastal regions. Of course, the traffic can be a challenge, but it’s worth it!

On weekends, when I want to slow down, I walk up Mount Inwang behind our house. I prefer taking the quieter path through the beautiful pine forests, passing by the temple — it’s very calming. This closeness to nature in Seoul is truly special.

Swiss Ambassador to Korea Dagmar Schmidt Tartagli / Courtesy of Bereket Alemayehu

Q. Were there any events or moments that especially moved you or helped you better understand Korean society?

A. Yes, absolutely. I think you often understand a society through its culture and art — they act like a sensor for what is happening and what people care about. One example is Spaceless, an exhibition by young photographers from Korea and Switzerland. It was very avant-garde, exploring new dimensions of creativity. The title itself, Spaceless, captured that idea of crossing boundaries and opening minds.

Another meaningful experience was the Soil exhibition, which was connected to a scientific delegation working on innovative approaches to agriculture and soil health. Soil is about more than farming — it’s about the richness of nature and how ecosystems sustain life. This exhibition, together with Jeong Kwan Snim’s temple cuisine, really showed me something profound about Korea: on one hand, the country is incredibly advanced in technology — in AI, quantum research and innovation — and on the other hand, there is a very deep-rooted respect for nature.

Korean temple cuisine, for example, is all about working with nature’s natural cycle — slow growth, healthy soil, seasonal plants. There’s this beautiful balance here between cutting-edge technology and a strong connection to nature, hiking and respecting the time it takes for things to grow. That harmony between innovation and tradition is something I deeply admire and that has helped me understand Korean society more profoundly.

Q. Finally, how has living in Korea changed you, or shifted your perspective as a global citizen?

A. This has been my first posting in Asia, so living here opened a whole new window for me — not only to Korea, but to Asia as a region. Korea is so central that I also had the chance to travel to neighboring countries — Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and China. Living here, you don’t just see a place for two weeks as a tourist — you experience what it feels like to live on the other side of the planet for years. That stays with you.

I’ve come to appreciate how dynamic Korean society is — how much it has transformed in just a few decades. But at the same time, traditions, conservatism and modernity all coexist here, creating a unique social energy. This understanding of rapid change and continuity will always stay with me, and with my family, as a special part of our life here.

Bereket Alemayehu is an Ethiopian photo artist, social activist and writer based in Seoul. He's also the co-founder of Hanokers, a refugee-led social initiative and freelance contributor for Pressenza Press Agency.