Martin Uden

Manchester United's visit to Seoul

In so many ways, one of Britain’s greatest strengths from Chaucer onwards has been its culture.  In recent times that has become an economic and export driver.  The latest Harry Potter film is a very clear example of this, but so too was the tour to the Far East, including Korea, by Manchester United.  Their worldwide commercial success has been remarkable, quite apart from their achievements on the football field.  It was the same last Friday.  In front of a capacity crowd at Seoul’s World Cup stadium, Man U beat FC Seoul 3-2 in what turned out to be an exciting match. 

For me it was also fascinating that the team takes such great care to foster its public image and was accompanied by two of the great names of the team’s past – Sir Bobby Charlton and Bryan Robson.  But for the Seoul crowd, there was really only one name on their lips – Park Ji-sung.  Although he didn’t start the match, he came on in the second half, which was really what the crowd wanted to see.  He is such a well-known figure in Korea, and the nation is very proud of his achievement in playing for Man U.

One other footballing issue that both countries share is that both Korea and England are bidding to stage the World Cup in 2018/2022.  It’s clear that both countries have tremendously strong bids, based above all on the strong fan base and the high standard of the home leagues.

Posted at 13:47 27 July 2009 by Martin Uden  |  Comments[2]

EU/Korea Free Trade Agreement

 The EU and Korea managed to make sufficient progress in the last week on the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations to be able to say that we have a deal. There are always formalities to go through – and the example of the US/Korea FTA shows clearly that these are not always pure formalities – but it does look as though we’re there. Certainly at some points in the two years of negotiations it almost looked as though we had run out of steam, but the concept of an agreement between two such important trading partners always made a lot of sense. For both the EU and Korea, once it’s in force it will be the largest FTA (in terms of trade volumes) for both countries.

I haven’t seen the complete deal as yet, but bringing down tariffs in so many areas is bound to increase trade for both sides which will be good news for consumers, whether of Korean electronic goods in the EU, or European beverages in Korea. There are also a wide range of other measures designed to make it easier to trade and do business on both sides. The opportunities the agreement will offer will be a very important area of business for the Embassy in the coming months - and for all the EU Embassies in Seoul, I’m sure.

Posted at 16:21 15 July 2009 by Martin Uden  |  Comments[2]

Looking for Yoghurt

There aren't that many UK theatre companies that come to Korea, so when they do, I'm only too happy to go along and support them.  Although I'm not really the target audience - it's a children's show - it was still fun to see "Looking for Yoghurt" which was directed by Peter Wynne-Wilson from Birmingham and it's already played in the Birmingham Rep.  What makes it all the better from my point of view is that it brings together Korean, Japanese and British characters, all of whom speak their own language yet still manage to communicate with each other.  A great metaphor in so many ways.  It's playing at the Daehangno Arts Theatre and goes to Kapyong and Yeoncheon before going on to Japan.  http://www.hanyong.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk gives some of the background to this collaboration; http://cafe.daum.net/joyfultheatre gives details of the performances in Korea.

And it's great fun.  Certainly the children in the audience very clearly - and vocally - enjoyed it.

Posted at 09:52 13 July 2009 by Martin Uden  |  Comments[0]

Freedom of Expression in the Digital Age

A few things came together to inspire us in the Embassy to arrange a seminar on “Freedom of Expression on the Internet”, which took place last Friday. First was the anniversary of British journalist, Ernest Bethell’s death (see my blog of 11 May for details about him), then the case of ‘Minerva’ in Korea, a blogger on trial (and subsequently found not guilty) for spreading false information with harmful intent, and more generally some work we’d done last year on the 60^th anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights.

The dilemmas posed by the internet and its relatively unregulated nature are things that I feel would have attracted Bethell.  It’s also a live issue in both the UK and Korea and we have experiences and ideas to share with each other.  Both the Korean Ministry for Culture, Media and Sports and the Korea Communications Commission agreed to co-organise the seminar, and the Embassy brought out two expert speakers from the UK (Derek Wyatt, MP, Chair of the Parliamentary Group on Communications, and Dr Ian Brown of the Oxford Internet Institute – for their presentations, click here).  In addition, the Korea Press Foundation and the Netherlands Embassy helped with sponsorship.

On the day, hundreds turned up to listen to, and debate with, experts from government, business, media and regulators.  The presentations were of a very high standard and brought out just the issues that I hoped would get an airing, from the balance between protecting privacy and maintaining freedom of expression, to the question of legislation versus self-regulation.  Obviously, these are sensitive issues, and different countries will try to resolve them differently, but that’s why it’s good to look at them in an international context.

A fascinating day and this issue won’t go away any time soon…

Posted at 17:17 06 July 2009 by Martin Uden  |  Comments[2]

Meeting Kim Dae-Jung

I normally don't say much about the many private meetings that I hold in Seoul, but this morning I called on Kim Dae-jung, former President of Korea and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.  I went to see him to thank him for his continued attention to the imprisonment of his fellow Peace Prize recipient, Aung San Suu Kyi, and specifically for his contribution to the website set up for ASSK's 64th birthday.

We discussed Secretary-General Ban's visit to Burma tomorrow and the sad fact the ASSK's trial is to resume the same day.  It was encouraging to see the very clear focus that President Kim has on the plight of ASSK and his strong support for pro-democracy elements there.  Coming from a man who did so much to bring democracy to Korea, I found it truly heartening. 
President Kim kindly agreed that I could mention our conversation and his staunch support for the people of Burma.

Posted at 17:19 02 July 2009 by Martin Uden  |  Comments[0]

Korean War Lives On…

25 June is more than a date in South Korea - it's part of the language.  To refer to the Korean War, you simply say 6.25, the day that North Korea invaded the South.  This year is the 59th anniversary of that day, and by happy close coincidence, the British government has decided to hold the first UK Armed Forces Day on 27 June.

This meant that we decided to hold our local celebration of Armed Forces Day on 24 June.  There is real poignancy here in remembrance of fallen service personnel since over 1,100 British servicemen lost their lives in the Korean War.  And the Republic of Korea itself is enormously generous in supporting the veterans (of all the states that sent forces to the UN Command) during re-visits.  They really set a fine example in honouring the contribution of the sending states, but even more importantly of the individual servicemen, who all made enormous sacrifices and many of whom paid the ultimate sacrifice.  I should recommend just such a story in one of the Korean English-language dailies (Joongang Daily) about one of the British servicemen who died and how the Korean government helped his family to visit his grave in the UN cemetery in Busan.

I'll be interested to see how the first ever Armed Forces Day is received in the UK itself. It certainly made enormous sense here.  

Posted at 16:14 26 June 2009 by Martin Uden  |  Comments[2]

Korea marks 64th birthday of Aung San Suu Kyi

To mark the 64th birthday of Burmese pro-democracy leader and Nobel laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi, I joined National Assembly Representatives (MPs) today to condemn her detention and call for her release.  Representative Song Young-gil, a prominent MP in Korea, is passionate about promoting human rights in Burma and he organised a petition for MPs to sign.  As I write this, over 40 MPs have signed the petition and many more are expected to add their names throughout the day.

With Ambassadors from the European Commission and Czech Republic, I also gave a statement condemning her arrest and calling for the release of all political prisoners.  You can see the full text here.

Earlier this week, 14 former Korean political prisoners joined with over 100 former political prisoners from around the world to call for Suu Kyi's release and for the United Nations Security Council to establish a global arms embargo on Burma/Myanmar.  

Former President and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Kim Dae Jung, and Grand National Party Representative, Park Geun-hye also added their personal messages to Suu Kyi on the website www.64forsuu.org.

It's important for National Assembly Representatives from both sides of the political spectrum to stand up for this issue.  It's also encouraging to see more and more countries in Asia protest strongly about the ongoing brutality of the Burmese military dictatorship.  After over 47 years of a repressive regime, the Burmese people are tired of waiting for democracy, and the international community no longer wants to have to deal with the military junta.

Posted at 16:03 19 June 2009 by Martin Uden  |  Comments[0]

Oxfam, Korea, Vietnam and the UK

I little knew that Oxfam would be the link to bring together Korea, Vietnam and the UK, but I was delighted to take part in a small celebration of a joint project this week.

A charity here called the Beautiful Store has a very similar approach to Oxfam in the UK, raising funds through second hand shops and using the money raised for projects in Korea and overseas.  It does not run the overseas projects itself, but instead donates money to Oxfam to help their work.  In fact, I had been involved with Beautiful Store here, donating various things to it, but not realising this connection with Oxfam GB.  Beautiful Store has donated over £250,000 for Oxfam’s projects in South Asia, and has pledged a further £150,000 this year.

The celebration I mentioned was to mark a project in Vietnam to improve education for girls and minority groups in Lao Cai, a remote region near the border with China.  My Vietnamese colleague and I made short speeches to thank Beautiful Store, although for the most part I spoke about the great work that Oxfam has done over the years and continues to do.

You can read more about the project here. It really is such a turn-around that within a generation Korea has moved from being an aid recipient to become a supporter of other countries less prosperous than itself – and that Koreans themselves support ventures like Beautiful Store, which after just seven years in existence now has over 100 stores country-wide.

Posted at 17:46 16 June 2009 by Martin Uden  |  Comments[0]

Studying in the UK

This week, the Embassy has launched a quiz competition for Korean students who are looking to apply for a visa to study in the UK. You can visit it here.

A new visa application system for the UK was introduced on 31 March this year called the Points-Based System.  Applications from overseas students must now meet a certain number of points to be successful, based on whether they have a complete visa letter from a certified educational institution in the UK and whether they have sufficient finances to complete the course.

The new system is intended to make the visa process simpler and quicker.  But we have received reports from students that they are finding it difficult to get to grips with the new requirements.  Our new competition website has lots of useful information on how to complete a successful visa application, so please do visit it if you’re looking to apply for a visa. 

We are very keen to ensure that students from Korea are able to come to the UK to study.  Our universities are world famous and part of their success is because of their international nature. I believe British students benefit hugely from mixing with students from other countries by sharing experiences and building good relationships with international partners in what is truly a global age.  And of course, the UK benefits economically from hosting international students too.

Posted at 16:50 12 June 2009 by Martin Uden  |  Comments[1]

Will Korea stand up for the world's only imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize winner?

Today marks the first day of the Republic of Korea-ASEAN Summit in Jeju Island, just off the south coast of Korea.  Leaders from the ten ASEAN countries are meeting with Korea’s President Lee Myung-bak to review their 20 years of official diplomatic relations and to strengthen existing ties.  

Posted at 13:59 01 June 2009 by Martin Uden  |  Comments[0]

Seoul is shocked - but not so much by the North

Even though it was a Bank Holiday in London, it didn't seem anything like a holiday here.  We first had the tragic death of former President Roh on the Saturday, and then the DPRK exploded a nuclear device on Monday morning, followed in the afternoon by three short-range missiles, with more missile tests subsequently.

As with messages expressing condolences for former President Roh, London was very quick to react to the nuclear test.  Both the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary David Miliband very quickly issued statements condemning the test, and then our team in New York took part in the UN Security Council discussions and continue to work for a strong, unified international response.  The FCO Minister, Bill Rammell, was in Hanoi at the time for the EU/ASEM meeting and so was able to speak to regional players there.  He also phoned the DPRK Ambassador in London to convey our strong opposition to the test; he is also expected to call in the DPRK Ambassador when he returns to London to explain our position in person.

The entire international community appears united on the issue and is intent on sending a very clear message to Pyongyang.  If the DPRK wants to play any part in international society, it cannot continue to pretend that only the US and the Republic of Korea are opposed to its nuclear plans.  China and Russia are making their opposition clear as well.  The EU has made a very strong statement of condemnation.

In Seoul itself, both these issues are of course getting enormous attention.  But I would say that the average Korean is more concerned about the death of former President Roh than about North Korea.  To some extent, the nuclear test and short-range missile firings are things they have seen before - and although Koreans know how serious these developments are, they don't have the same emotional resonance as the suicide of a former President.  Looking at the long lines of people just outside our Embassy waiting to pay their respects at an altar set up outside the Doksu palace, it is clear that particularly young people feel the loss of President Roh very deeply and want to find ways to express their sorrow. We should remember that whatever the circumstances are that surround his death, President Roh was a generational figurehead for many and had been the democratically elected Head of State of a modern nation that is well respected around the world; it really is a sad loss.

Posted at 17:09 27 May 2009 by Martin Uden  |  Comments[5]

In Remembrance of President Roh Moo-hyun

I first heard about President Roh’s death when my wife telephoned me minutes after it was announced on Saturday morning.  She was in Namdaemun market and she said an eerie quiet was descending over the entire market as people got messages on their cell phones and then rushed to watch the nearest TV.  The sense of shock was almost palpable.  Whatever problems he was facing, his apparent suicide (and the TV news on Saturday morning vacillated for some time as to how to describe it) left people stunned.

Both HM The Queen and Gordon Brown sent condolence messages quickly over the weekend.  President Roh’s visit to London in 2004 was in fact the first ever State Visit by the President of the Republic of Korea to the UK and was a real (and overdue) milestone in the relationship between the two countries.  For the Embassy as a whole, there was another personal feeling of loss since the President’s daughter, Jeong-yeon, worked here before her father was elected.  Our hearts go out to the entire family.

(Photo: HM The Queen and former President Roh Moo-hyun in 2004 State Visit to the UK)

Posted at 11:29 25 May 2009 by Martin Uden  |  Comments[2]

World’s Mayors Meet in Seoul to Tackle Climate Change

Right now in Seoul, the City Government is hosting a meeting of Mayors on climate change, now known as the C40.  The first meeting was held in London in 2005, the second in New York two years ago, and the third is going on now.  Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, has been here for the meeting and came out a day in advance so that he could look at Seoul’s Olympic sites from 1988 and bang the drum for investment in London and for the Olympic and Paralympics Games of 2012.

Interesting to see how Boris recorded his visit on Twitter and through his new ‘phlogs’.  I think he certainly found food for thought from the way Seoul has kept its Olympic sites alive and vibrant.  The swimming pool was amazing.  Both the 50 metre pool and the diving pool were simply packed – hundreds of swimmers doing laps – and apparently it’s like that all day from morn till late at night.  There was a BBC London team filming him – worth a look at the coverage.

It was interesting to hear Bill Clinton give the keynote at the start of the C40 conference.  Although Al Gore has become identified rather more with the climate change theme, Clinton was clearly just as passionate about it.  As Boris said on his tweets, Clinton was very complimentary about some of the projects in London – and of course the whole idea of a conference like this is to exchange best practice among the cities.

Events like the C40 are important for showing that there are people around the world who are serious about the risks and opportunities presented by climate change. Bill Clinton particularly stressed the imperfections of the Kyoto Protocol and the need – as we get closer to the crucial UN meeting in Copenhagen in December – to work together to generate momentum for an ambitious agreement.

London Mayor Boris Johnson

Posted at 15:56 20 May 2009 by Martin Uden  |  Comments[0]

A Carbon-Neutral Queen's Birthday Party

It is customary around the world for Embassies to hold a grand annual event celebrating their national day.  So the USA mark 4 July, France 14 July and so on.  The United Kingdom celebrates Her Majesty’s Birthday and British diplomatic missions normally mark it in June to coincide with the celebrations in London where the highpoint is the Trooping of the Colour.

In most places and for most Embassies, the Queen’s Birthday Party has been an occasion to invite a wide range of important contacts for a suitably impressive affair.  That has also been the practice here and generally we have held a large party on the lawn of the Residence, which anything up to 400 people attend.

This is just what we did last year, but I was not entirely sure it represented the best value for money for the UK taxpayer, nor indeed enabled us to fully welcome and thank our many and varied contacts.  Even though 400 is a lot of people, inevitably there were still many important contacts who could not be invited, and with so many people at the party it was tough to do business with those we did invite. So this year, we have decided to go for a smaller affair in early June and to concentrate on the diplomatic corps and Korean foreign policy community – so guests from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, National Assembly Foreign Affairs Committee, relevant think tanks, and so on.  We will try to ensure that our valued contacts from other areas are invited to other events more tailored to them as well.  And that there continue to be opportunities for British Businesses and the wider British Community in Korea to enjoy our wonderful Residence and gardens.

But another factor I had in mind was a wish to be sure that events like this are consistent with our approach to climate change.  And so this year’s event will – for the first time ever – be carbon neutral. Simply having a smaller event will mean a reduction in the carbon footprint of the event, and so too will holding it at lunchtime on the lawn, so not the same need for air conditioning and lighting that we’d need in the evening indoors. We’ve looked at the catering arrangements to reduce emissions there and, where possible, are using locally produced, in season produce. Of course, the waste from the event will be recycled.  We have asked guests not to send floral tributes (quite a big thing in Korea) but instead to make a donation to charity. And we encourage guests to use public transport to travel to and from the event to make a significant saving in carbon emissions.  We’re also using a guide from the Korean Ministry of the Environment for more ideas and to calculate what we need to purchase as offsets to make the event carbon neutral overall.

I hope we’ll be able to succeed in this – but still allow ourselves to throw a good party for Her Majesty.

Posted at 10:00 19 May 2009 by Martin Uden  |  Comments[0]

A British activist for Korean liberty

This week saw a commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the death of Ernest Bethell, a name all but unknown in his homeland, but truly revered in Korea.  He was a British journalist who came to cover the Russo-Japanese War in 1904 for the Daily Chronicle and stayed on to found Korea’s first independent newspapers – the Daehan Maeil Shinbo and its English-language sibling the Korea Daily News.  The role of a foreigner was crucial at the time since although Japan had established a protectorate over Korea and so controlled the press for the most part, Britons such as Bethell were subject to British law thanks to the then-common extraterritorial  provisions of treaties between Korea and foreign powers.  The Japanese therefore couldn’t stop his newspapers and the criticism of Japanese rule that was printed in them.  The close relationship at the time between Japan and Britain, however, eventually meant that a British consular court did take action against him, although to my predecessor’s eternal credit (the British Consul-General at the time, Henry Cockburn) he left Korea soon after the case and resigned from the Foreign Service.

A lot of historical background, but the freedom of the press is far from just a historical issue.  The ceremony I took part in to honour his memory was graced by memorial wreathes sent by the Korean President and Prime Minister and UN Secretary-General Ban.  Even if Bethell is not much known back in Britain, he is certainly respected here as a true Korean patriot and a leader in Korea’s struggle for independence and for freedom of expression.

Posted at 16:30 11 May 2009 by Martin Uden  |  Comments[1]