He also praised the joint operations of British and Korean troops around the world, including in Iraq, Syria and Sierra Leone, for peacekeeping, medical and humanitarian missions.

On the economic front, the bilateral trade has grown by more than 10 percent annually over the last five years, according to the diplomat. For the next two years, a series of events as part of bilateral cultural promotions will showcase the UK’s excellence in the arts and creative industries in Korea and vice versa.

For the forum, Joanna Wasiewska, head of the political-economic section at the Polish Embassy in Seoul, gave an overview of Poland, its relations with Korea and life as a diplomat.

“Poland is called ‘Polska’ in Polish, and we are located in central Europe between Germany and Russia,” she said, also describing the major cities of Warsaw, Krakow, Gdansk and Zakopane.

Highlighting Polish composer Frederic Chopin and scientist Marie Curie, Wasiewska said Poland was a frontrunner in astronomy, with a team of students from the Rzeszow University of Technology winning the University Rover Challenge last year. 

The diplomat also pointed to Poland’s rich contemporary culture, popularized in films that have swept European cinemas and won Oscars as best foreign language movies.

“It is a great idea to come and study in Poland,” she said. Poland was ranked the sixth best country to study in Europe in 2015 in a survey by the International Students Satisfaction Awards.

“Poland is a welcoming and enjoyable place for students from all around the world. Living costs are significantly lower than Korea and the programs are of high-quality, provided in English and other languages,” she added.

Moving on to relations with Korea, Wasiewska mentioned the two countries are Strategic Partners, closely cooperating in political, security, economic and cultural arenas. Since last October, LOT Polish Airlines is operating direct flights between Warsaw and Seoul thrice weekly, which will expand to five flights per week in July.

“Being a diplomat is like doing 100 different jobs,” she said, adding “every day is different.” “The most important thing is that you work to make your country shine.”

By Joel Lee (joel@heraldcorp.com)