1. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs held from November 19 to 24 an invitation program for overseas honorary consuls of the Republic of Korea, who are contributing to the protection of overseas Koreans and cooperation between the ROK and their home countries in economy, culture, education and various other sectors. To this year’s round, 16 honorary consuls were invited from 15 countries.

2. The overseas honorary consuls invited to this year’s program attended the dinner hosted by Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun and a working dinner on ways to strengthen the role of honorary consuls; and took part in various programs designed to enhance their understanding of the ROK, including a seminar on traditional Korean culture as well as visits to the inter-Korean demilitarized zone (DMZ), the Korean Folk Village, and such industrial facilities as the Samsung Innovation Museum.

3. The honorary consuls stated that their visit to the ROK helped them better understand the ROK and that their meetings with Foreign Ministry officials, and other honorary consuls served as useful opportunities to discuss their work as honorary consuls.

° Honorary consul from the Republic of Honduras Jose Maria Agurica expressed pleasure with his work as the ROK’s honorary consul since 1990 and participation in the invitation program 2018, saying that he was proud to work as the ROK’s honorary consul and developed a deeper affection for the ROK by doing so.

4. The 2018 round of the invitation program for the ROK’s overseas honorary consuls is seen to have contributed to strengthening the pro-ROK network in the global community and thereby building the ROK’s diplomatic capacity, including in protecting the overseas Koreans, as well as promoting substantive cooperation between the ROK and the home countries of the overseas honorary consuls.

* unofficial translation