By Kim Se-jeong
Staff Reporter
Less than a decade ago, South Korea and Peru were rather oblivious to each other.
With the distance between the two countries making it difficult to reach one from the other ― it takes longer than a day to arrive in Lima, the capital ― there was hardly any attention paid here to the abundant natural resources lurking on the other side of the Pacific Ocean.
But developments in recent years are gradually shifting the notion.
First, in February last year Cheong Wa Dae's newly installed resident placed an emphasis on energy diplomacy. Then the new head of state, President Lee Myung-bak, flew to Lima in November to take part in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.
Lee and Peruvian President Alan Garcia met for one and a half hours ― an unusually long meeting for its kind, one diplomat who accompanied Lee said.
Although details of the talks weren't fully revealed, what happened as a consequence enabled one to predict that the meeting was a constructive one, setting a new foundation for the two countries.
Now, negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA) between them are going well. So far, the two sides have met three times, with expectations high that a conclusion is near.
Peruvian Ambassador to Korea Marcela Lopez Bravo predicted the conclusion is now in sight, suggesting the end of the year as the possible finish line. If concluded by then, they will be the most quickly concluded FTA negotiations.
President Garcia is expected to visit Korea in November at the invitation of President Lee ― the first Peruvian president ever.
Peruvian Minister of Foreign Relations Jose Antonio Garcia Belaunde is also expected to make a short preparatory visit in September.
The state visit is to enhance the two's strategic partnership, Bravo said.
Developments are keeping the many people involved busy, including the ambassador.
The President's Seoul visit in November and the FTA negotiations keep her constantly occupied with meetings, paperwork and ceaseless telephone calls at night, with the time difference between Peru and Korea being 14 hours.
What consumes her the most, however, is an upcoming exhibition on Inca civilization that the Hankook Ilbo, sister paper of The Korea Times, is organizing with support from the embassy.
As part of the National Museum of Korea's centennial celebrations, the exhibition on the ancient civilization of Peru will display nearly 350 Inca valuables for four months.
``This is a very important exhibition,'' the ambassador said at her office on Monday, the eve of Peru's 188th Independence Day.
In addition to exposing Korean people to one of the world's greatest civilizations, the ambassador is sure that the exhibition will give rise to other aspects of the countries' relationship. The exhibition will open sometime in December.
With all these ongoing developments in mind, Ambassador Bravo projected the year 2010 as one with a ``new vision of relationship.''
With an FTA, new investments and cultural affairs in place by next year, the Korea-Peru relationship will be elevated to the next level, she said.