Amid the changing diplomatic landscape in the second decade of the 21st century, ambassadors and chiefs of foreign missions are increasingly requested to wear many hats. They are asked to redefine their roles to be responsible for directing and coordinating all human and diplomatic capital in their countries, going beyond their traditional role of mainly managing bilateral ties.
During a public/private meeting to discuss ways to bolster ties with emerging powers held at the presidential office in late December, a representative from the Korea Telecom (KT) called on diplomats to be more active in their foreign mission.
President Lee Myung-bak, several high-ranking officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, presidential secretaries, representatives from businesses and think tank experts attended the meeting.
The KT executive was in charge of an information technology project in Rwanda sponsored by the telecom giant. "The business leader encouraged ambassadors to be proactive in their mission stations and try to do more than the traditional duty of meeting with foreign ministry officials of the host government," a high-ranking official who took part in the session told The Korea Times on condition of anonymity. "He called on diplomats to 'penetrate' deeply the communities of all sectors to pinpoint the needs of the host country. This will require chiefs of foreign missions to work closely with the private and civic sector players."
In an era of emerging powers, South Korea is not the only government calling for a shift in the role of diplomats.
In the U.S. government's foreign policy roadmap report in the 21st century, dubbed Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review, the State Department called on U.S. ambassadors "to start playing the role of chief executive officers who would be tasked with establishing multi-agency relationships."
"We will adapt to the changing diplomatic and development landscape of the 21st century," Secretary Hillary Clinton said. Clinton's request came against the backdrop of a host of emerging powers in the global economy leading to changing the geopolitical landscape.
The State Department's report included China, India, Brazil, Russia, Indonesia and Turkey as countries of which clout is growing. "As these states grow economically they are playing more important roles in their own regions and, in turn, their regions are exerting new global influence," the report said.
Asitha Perera, a former Sri Lankan ambassador to Korea (2006-2010), was super-active in a bid to promote his country as a tourist hot spot, while he was in Seoul.
A now Sri Lankan ambassador-designate to Italy, Perera believed that the suspension of non-stop airline services between Seoul and Colombo was the main setback preventing South Koreans from exploring the jewel in the Indian Ocean. Therefore, his top concern during his four-year mission here was how to successfully convince South Korean officials and executives in the airline industry to consider re-running the non-stop service between Seoul and Colombo.
The non-stop airline service between the two cities was suspended two decades ago after suicide bombers put travelers at risk.
In a meeting with the Korea Times reporter held two years ago in the embassy, he said that it was not easy for him to set up meetings with executives at the local airliners and with government officials to discuss the matter due to their tight schedules.
He was determined to wait for some of them at a sauna in a five-star hotel in Seoul as he was informed in advance that they were scheduled to go there. The former Sri Lankan ambassador made a case for the need to re-introduce the direct Seoul-Colombo route whenever he met with policymakers and executives of airliners.
In 2007, Seoul and Colombo agreed to re-open the direct service.
Like the Sri Lankan ambassador, Korean envoys on foreign missions are increasingly asked to play the role of business people to better handle the changing geopolitical landscape.
외교관도 이제는 뛰어야 산다
과거 외교관 하면 많은 사람들은 공관에 앉아 사무를 보거나 주재국 정부관료들을 만나서 점잖게 이야기를 하는 모습을 연상했다.
그러나 급변하는 국제무대에서 외교관도 변신해야 한다는 목소리가 힘을 얻고 있다.
전 한국주재 스리랑카 대사는 본국의 관광을 진흥시키기 위해 발을 벗고 뛴 대표적인 케이스.
한국과 스리랑카간에 직항 항공이 없는 것이 스리랑카에 한국인 관광객 유치가 안된 결정적 요인이라고 생각한 이 대사는 한국 정부관료들과 항공사 임원들을 만나기 위해 분주하게 뛰었다.
관료들과 항공사 임원들의 바쁜 일정으로 미팅이 성사되기 어렵자, 전 스리랑카 대사는 이들이 자주 가는 한 호텔의 사우나 장에 직접 찾아가 한국과 스리랑카간 직항 필요성을 역설했다.
2007년 한국과 스리랑카는 직항 개설에 합의하기에 이르렀다. 아직 두 나라간 직항은 개설되지 않았지만, 이 대사의 노고는 그가 한국을 떠나 새로운 임지로 간 이후에도 유명한 일화로 남게 되었다.