By Honorary Reporter Alaa Abdelaty from Egypt
Photos = Ambassador Hong Jin-wook

Korean Ambassador to Egypt Hong Jin-wook was appointed to his post in June 2020. He helped facilitate President Moon Jae-in's visit to the North African nations in January this year, the first by a Korean leader in 16 years. To learn more on his background, bilateral ties and his time in Egypt, I held an exclusive interview with the ambassador on March 21 at the Korean Embassy in Cairo.

Please give a bit of background about yourself.
When I was young, I wanted to make a small contribution to society and help others. In college, I majored in economics but after participating in club activities and interacting with foreign university students, I later dreamed of becoming a diplomat.

After earning a master's degree in international studies, I served my military duty. I later passed the foreign service exam and have since worked as a diplomat for 29 years. I've served in Kenya, Belgium, New Zealand and Italy, but this is my first time as ambassador. I consider it an honor to work in Egypt, which has a beautiful natural environment, brilliant culture, and kind and competent people.

What memorable moments have you had in Egypt?
I've been welcomed by Egyptians wherever I go since arriving here, so every moment is memorable to me. But if I had to pick one moment, it would be appearing on the famous Egyptian show "With You, Mona El-Shazly." Though I'm not excellent at it, I remember how many Egyptians loved it when I played on the saxophone the famous song "3 Daqat" and the Egyptian national anthem.

What developments in bilateral ties have you seen while serving as ambassador?
I believe that President Moon Jae-in's visit to Egypt in January was historic in that the two countries confirmed bilateral cooperation and agreed to strengthen collaboration in a more future-oriented manner. Korea last year also designated Egypt a core partner country for official development assistance from 2021-25, allocating more funds for desalination, renewable energy, and information and communication technology. Korea is also promoting projects that improve quality of life in Egypt in fields like e-government.

Ambassador Hong Jin-wook on March 20 impresses by wearing Hanbok at a business dinner with embassy staff.

The Korean Cultural Center in Egypt recently marked its seventh anniversary. What does it offer?

The Korean Cultural Center (KCC) is important for carrying out Korea's diplomacy. It strives to reach out to the Egyptian people as much as possible, online or offline, to help them enjoy Korean culture such as music, language, food and clothing more comfortably. The number of students at King Sejong Institute and that of those taking the Test of Proficiency in Korean have increased significantly, and more cultural and human exchange projects such as visits to the KCC are scheduled.

Ambassador Hong Jin-wook and Alaa Abdelaty give the Hallyu finger heart sign to Honorary Reporters worldwide.

How do you view Honorary Reporters?
I believe that each Honorary Reporter is an ambassador who connects the world to Korea. Foreign nationals who promote Korea have a much greater impact than Koreans doing the same thing. Furthermore, such reporters are diplomats bringing their countries and Korea closer together. For that, I'd like to thank them.

kalhong617@korea.kr

*This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.