English: Ambassador of the Republic of Korea Mr. KIM Jeong-Ho Departs Timor-Leste

This afternoon I decorated the outgoing Ambassador with the Medal of Merit and hosted a cocktail function for the Ambassador and his esteemed wife. Embassies accredited in Timor-Leste, EU Delegation and UN Agencies all attended the ceremony. The following message was taken from an official posting by the Korean Embassy when the Ambassador initiated his diplomatic assignment more than 2 years ago9. "Ambassador’s Greetings About the Mission" Dear Friends, I have the honor to introduce myself – my name is Kim Jeong Ho. Having served in the military for 35 years, I now have the honor to continue to serve my country – this time as Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, having been entrusted with the role from November 2020. Korea, located on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia, is the 12th largest economy in the world and the land of Taekwondo. One particular characteristic is that there is no time difference with Timor-Leste. Korea uses its own special alphabet called Hangul and has four distinct seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter. The population of Korea is about 52 million people. The relationship between Korea and Timor-Leste dates back to 1999. At that time, the Korean President Kim Dae Jung at the APEC Summit held in New Zealand in September placed a strong emphasis on the need for the international community to provide assistance to Timor-Leste. Also, Dr. Sohn Bong-Scuk served as the Commissioner of the UN International Electoral Commission(IEC) for the Popular Consultation of Timor Leste in 1999 and as the Chair of the UN IEC for the 2001 Constituent Assembly of Timor-Leste. What is more, Korea dispatched the Evergreen Force (ROKBATT) from 1999 to 2003 to contribute to the peace and stability of Timor-Leste and five Korean soldiers lost their lives during their mission in Oecusse. Korea is delighted to play a full part in the development of Timor-Leste. We are engaging in various aid activities in a range of fields such as education, health, gender equality and capacity-building through KOICA. Hundreds of young Timorese people going to Korea every year to work are plearning vocational skills and gaining valuable experience there. In addition, with the Government of Timor-Leste, we hope to play a part in nurturing the spirit of the Saemaul Undong in the National Program for Village Development (PNDS) in Timor-Leste. Korea also plays a valuable part in the sports field. The Korean Embassy is working hard to generate interest in Taekwondo in Timor-Leste. And in fact the Timorese National youth soccer team has won world championship under the guidance of Korean coach Kim Shin-hwan.

As Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Timor-Leste I will indeed exert heartfelt efforts to further deepen the ties of friendship between Korea and Timor-Leste. And I would indeed most sincerely appreciate your interest and support.