To gauge the direction of cooperation between Korea and the world, Korea.net is running a series of interviews with ambassadors to Korea. This interview features Thai Ambassador to Korea Singtong Lapisatepun, who discusses bilateral ties and the 30th anniversary of the dialogue relationship between Korea and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

By <font color="#0070c0">Yoon Sojung</font>
Photos = <font color="#0070c0">Jeon Han </font>
Video = <font color="#0070c0">Kim Sunjoo and Choi Taesoon</font>
Seoul | August 7, 2019

"We share a very important history together," Thai Ambassador to Korea Singtong Lapisatepun said on Aug. 7 when referring to bilateral relations between Korea and Thailand.

"Bilateral relations began even before the establishment of diplomatic ties as Thailand was the first country after the U.S. to participate in the Korean War. We are honored to be part of Korea's great history."

Based on that foundation, he said, the peoples of both countries have deepened their friendship and developed strong people-to-people exchanges, which the ambassador called the most important basis of bilateral cooperation.

Last year alone, 1.8 million Koreans traveled to Thailand while approximately 500,000 Thais visited Korea, he added.

Lapisatepun also said he hopes President Moon Jae-in's official visit to Thailand next month can help expand bilateral economic cooperation.

The following are excerpts from the interview held at the Thai Embassy in Seoul's Yongsan-gu District ahead of the upcoming visit of President Moon starting from Sept. 1 to three ASEAN member states: Thailand, Myanmar and Laos.

- President Moon Jae-in will visit Thailand as part of his three-nation ASEAN tour next month. What are your expectations of his upcoming trip?

After taking office, President Moon Jae-in vowed to strengthen ties between Korea and ASEAN and visit all ASEAN member countries within his term. His upcoming tour will fulfill his pledge to visit all ASEAN member states, and this shows how serious he is when keeping his word. I hope his upcoming visit can help bolster bilateral cooperation (between Korea and Thailand).

- What sectors are both countries showing the most active cooperation in?

Korea and Thailand established a strategic partnership in 2012 and agreed to bolster cooperation in all areas. People-to-people exchanges are where we can see the strongest cooperation. In 2018 alone, almost a half a million Thais visited Korea while 1.8 million Korean tourists visited Thailand. This shows how strong such exchanges are. The Thai people are very interested in Korean culture. We love to (learn about) Korean history and various sides of (Korean) culture, as well as K-pop and K-dramas.

- The ASEAN-ROK (Republic of Korea) Commemorative Summit will be held in Busan in November to mark the 30th anniversary of the dialogue relationship between both sides. What agenda items does Thailand, the ASEAN chair country this year, hope to discuss at the summit?

As this year's ASEAN chair country, Thailand hopes to review the past 30 years of the dialogue relationship between Korea and ASEAN and discuss cooperation for the next 30, 50 and 150 years. As for policy agenda, we hope to discuss sustainable advancement of our partnership. As we've paid less attention to the environment because of economic growth, we need to talk about environmental issues for our next generation. Other agenda we wish to discuss is "digital ASEAN" and "interconnectivity" within the ASEAN region. Korea is a very important partner in these areas given its status as an IT superpower with prowess in digital technology and smart city knowhow.

- How does Bangkok see the overall development of the peace process on the Korean Peninsula?

Thinking back to 2017, a year before I began my ambassadorial post in Korea, the Korean Peninsula was in a highly volatile situation with the threat of war breaking out. But after the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, the mood dramatically changed. We saw three inter-Korean summits take place in the same year and historic summits between North Korea and the U.S. Although the speed might not be as fast as many expect, at least (things are) heading in the right direction. The effort to continue dialogue matters a lot.

- What cultural items or customs do you think best symbolize Thailand?

It's hard to pick one specific cultural symbol to represent the country's culture because every culture has its own charms. But Thai food seems to be most popular among many Koreans. I guess the most popular Thai food dishes here are pad Thai noodles and tom yum goong soup. But in fact, we have a variety of food in every region and you can find uniqueness in the culinary cultures of the northern or southern areas. Thais also love Korean food such as bibimbap (mixed rice) or samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup). Architecture is also another Thai cultural icon. Although Korea and Thailand each have a Buddhist culture, the uniqueness and charms of each nation can be seen at Buddhist temples in Korea and Thailand. One can also see the differences in royal palaces through Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul and palace architecture in Bangkok.

arete@korea.kr