[INTERVIEW] Korean studies scholar-turned-ambassador learns from history

Hungarian ambassador to Korea Mozes Csoma speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at the country's embassy in Yongsan District, Seoul, June 8. Csoma is a Korean Studies scholar who has expertise in the relations between the Korean peninsula and Hungary. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

By Kwon Mee-yoo

Hungarian Ambassador to Korea Mozes Csoma has a unique background as an ambassador. He is a prominent Korean studies scholar, who established the first Korean studies department at a university in Hungary. He has frequently travelled to Korea, visiting almost every year for the past two decades for study and research even before being appointed as an ambassador, so he was already familiar with the country.

"When I was appointed as Hungary's ambassador to Korea in 2018, I had an opportunity to utilize everything I learned about Korea from language and history to culture in developing Hungary-Korea relations," the ambassador said during an interview with The Korea Times wrapping up his four years as an ambassador at the Hungarian Embassy in Yongsan District, Seoul. He speaks Korean fluently and the interview was conducted in Korean.

Even though he is not a career diplomat, Csoma "knew exactly what to do as an ambassador" when he was appointed.

"As a Korean Studies scholar, I have researched diplomatic documents between South Korea and Hungary, as well as North Korea and Hungary from the National Archives of Hungary. I knew what an ambassador has to do and how to get a good result as a diplomat," he said.

Sandor Simics, first from left, the first-ever Hungarian envoy in North Korea in the spring of 1950 / Courtesy of Mozes Csoma

History of Hungary-Korea relations

The ambassador noted that despite the geographical distance, the relations between Korea and Hungary began much earlier than people think.

"At the end of the 19th century, when Hungary was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, ruled by the Habsburg monarchy, (the Joseon Kingdom and) Austria-Hungary signed a friendship treaty in 1892 and that is the official beginning of the Hungary-Korea relations. There was a Hungarian Bishop, Peter Vay, who was the first Hungarian to have an audience with King Gojong in 1902," he said.

Csoma also played a role in organizing "Korea in 1908 through the eyes of a Hungarian medical doctor, Dezso Bozoky," an exhibition at the Seoul Museum of History in 2019 to commemorate 30 years of diplomatic ties between Hungary and Korea.

"In 1908, an Austro-Hungarian warship, SMS Kaiser Franz Joseph I, visited Korea and a Hungarian navy surgeon took many photos of Korea ― Jemulpo (Incheon), Seoul, Port Hamilton (Geomun Island) and Busan. I wanted to share the pictures of Korean taken by a Hungarian some 110 years ago with Koreans and organized the exhibit, which later toured Incheon and Busan," he explained.

Hungary has unique relations with the Korean peninsula. The Japanese colonial rule of Korea put an end to the relations between Austria-Hungary and Korea. After the liberation of Korea, Hungary recognized North Korea as having sole sovereignty over the peninsula. Hungary was the first to set up a modern hospital in North Korea during the 1950-53 Korean War and accepted North Korean orphans and students after the war.

Hungary formally recognized and establish diplomatic relations with South Korea in 1989, the same year communism ended in the European country.

As a scholar, Csoma looked into this complicated relationship between Hungary and the Korean peninsula closely.

"Just before the Korean War in April 1950, the first Hungarian envoy, Sandor Simics, arrived in Pyongyang. I have read all diplomatic documents from Simics' arrival in North Korea till the establishment of diplomatic ties with South Korea in the national archive," he said.

Csoma has written a handful of books on Hungary-Korea relations in English and Korean and "From North Korea to Budapest" narrates the tales of North Korean students during the Hungarian Revolution in 1956.

"There were around 1,000 North Korean orphans and students in Hungary in the 1950s and I looked into the lives of these students in Budapest. When the Hungarian Revolution against the Soviet Union broke out in 1956, North Korean students who had experience with weapons helped their classmates. I interviewed some students, who were in Hungary then but took refuge in a third country after the revolution failed, for the book," he said.

Park Chul-eon, second from left, special envoy of President Roh Tae-woo in Budapest in 1988 / Courtesy of Mozes Csoma

However, after the Hungarian Revolution, Hungary and North Korea took a different path. Hungary went to what some say was a "lighter" kind of communism, cooperating economically with and travelling freely to countries in Western Europe since the 1970s, while North Korea became more reclusive.

"In this atmosphere, Budapest was the first among the socialist nations to approach Seoul to establish diplomatic relations. Hungary had a temporary representative in Seoul before participating in the 1988 Seoul Olympics and it was promoted to an embassy when Hungary-Korea diplomatic ties were established in February 1989."

Since then, Hungary-South Korea relations developed rapidly, while Hungary's ties with North Korea deteriorated. Hungary closed its embassy in Pyongyang in 1999 and the ambassadorial duties for North Korea were first transferred to the Hungarian ambassador in Beijing and then to Seoul. Currently, Csoma doubles as Hungary's envoy to North Korea.

In April 2019, Csoma went to Pyongyang to present his credentials.

"I presented my credentials to Kim Yong-nam, North Korea's ceremonial leader who led the delegation at the PyeongChang Olympics. He retired due to old age soon after receiving my credentials," he said, showing a newspaper clip from the Rodong Sinmun and a photo taken during the ceremony in Pyongyang.

In relation to inter-Korean relations, Ambassador Csoma said Hungary is in accord with other European Union member states, opposing North Korea's nuclear weapons development and missile tests.

Hungarian ambassador to Korea Mozes Csoma poses in front of the entrance of the Liszt Institute ― Hungarian Cultural Cente in Myeong-dong, central Seoul. Courtesy of Embassy of Hungary in Korea

Potential for cooperation

What he learned from history is to find the right, important people with which to cooperate on diplomatic issues.

"I have found many great partners both in Korea and Hungary in the last four years and I think I am a lucky ambassador," Csoma said.

"One of them is Park Chul-eon, former minister and chief negotiator of the 1988 Hungary-South Korea secret talks. Ahead of the establishment of official diplomatic relations, Park visited Hungary in the late 1980s as a special envoy of then-President Roh Tae-woo who pursued the Northern Policy.

"As I knew well of the history of Hungary-Korea relations, former minister Park was the first person I paid a visit upon arrival in Korea as an ambassador. We've been on intimate terms since then and he gave me a lot of good advice and ideas."

Ambassador Csoma said one of his achievements during his term in Korea was the opening of the Liszt Institute ― Hungarian Cultural Center Seoul in 2019.

"There has been a Korean Cultural Center in Budapest since 2012, but there was no counterpart in Korea. So I endeavored to open the Hungarian Cultural Center to introduce Hungary's traditional culture, history, literature, cuisine, wine and more to Koreans," he said.

During his term, the first direct flight route between Seoul and Budapest was also established as well.

"The direct flight is operated by LOT Polish Airlines, which is an example of cooperation between the four Visegrad Group countries," Csoma said.

The Visegrad Group, also known as V4, is an alliance of four central European countries ― the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia.

"The V4 countries are geographically similar to the Korean Peninsula, located among big powers. Korea is heavily influenced by China, Japan, Russia and the United States, while the V4 countries are wedged between powerful countries ― Germany, France, Russia and more," Csoma said.

"The Visegrad countries have a long history of cooperation. The alliance between the Central European countries began in the 14th century, meeting in the Hungarian castle of Visegrad. The present version was established in 1991, after the collapse of the Soviet Union."

Hungarian ambassador to Korea Mozes Csoma, fourth from left in first row, attends the ceremony for the establishment of the first-ever regular direct flight between Seoul and Budapest in 2019. Courtesy of Embassy of Hungary in Korea

Ambassador said the V4 countries and Korea have much to offer each other.

"We all once were communist nations and have the experience of regime change. This experience could be valuable to the Korean Peninsula as North Korea might go through the same process," Csoma said.

"The V4 countries also need South Korea's advanced technology and experience. For instance, the four governments are planning for a high-speed railway connecting capitals of the V4 countries ― Budapest, Bratislava, Prague and Warsaw. Korea has an experience of operating a high-speed rail service for over 15 years and will be a great partner."

The ambassador also emphasized that Hungary is a strong country in basic science.

"Hungary has 13 Nobel laureates, most of them coming from basic sciences such as physics and chemistry. Many Korean companies have factories in Hungary and produce automobile parts, but most of them are 'Made in Hungary,' not 'Invented in Hungary,'" Csoma said.

"We see a great potential in joint research between Hungary and Korea and hope for more Korean companies to set up R&D centers in Hungary, not just factories. We are also in talks with prominent Korean universities to open an engineering college campus in Hungary."

Csoma is expected to return to Hungary in early August.

"Upon return, I will continue my work as a Korean Studies scholar. I will give lectures and research on Korea and visit the country as often as I can. I will be a pro-Korea scholar who will foster Hungarians who speak the Korean language and understand Korea's culture," Csoma said.