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History, beaches, baseball, music in one package: Dominican Republic

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By Humberto Salazar

"The Dominican Republic Has It All": This is the slogan that our Ministry of Tourism uses to best encapsulate the brand and essence of an island where visitors will find the most beautiful beaches where the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean meet, some of the richest history in Americas ― having been the point of entry for European settlers in the 15th century ― the place where the captivating rhythms of merengue and bachata permeate the soundscape at all times of the day, mixed together with an almost religious-like passion and fervor for baseball.

Humberto Salazar
Humberto Salazar
The Dominican Republic has maintained diplomatic relations with the Republic of Korea since 1962, and with its 11 million inhabitants throughout just over 48,000 square kilometers, is marking the 176th anniversary of its national independence this year.

Our island was the juncture that saw the birth of the American Continent, with Spanish conquerors, led by Christopher Columbus, arriving on the our coasts in the year 1492 and establishing the first permanent European settlement in what's still referred to as "the new world."

There are so many UNESCO world heritage sites related to this historical period located throughout the Dominican Republic's capital city of Santo Domingo that visitors are always just a short walk away from the first of many different things in the Americas: the first cathedral, the first street, the first hospital, the first university, the alcazar (Vice Regal Palace) from where Christopher Columbus son, Diego Columbus, ruled the West Indies, as well as a whole series of historical sites tied to Spanish explorations that forever changed the world.

Because of this, along with its thousands of kilometers of white sand and turquoise beaches, the Dominican Republic is the top destination in the Caribbean. We have over 85,000 hotel rooms, the most transited airport in the Caribbean, coupled with guaranteed sunshine and a year-round tropical climate, that attract almost eight million annual visitors from all over the world.

Moreover, aside from its rich history and its beautiful beaches, the Dominican Republic is the birthplace of two of the most popular Latin music genres. We are called the "Land of Merengue," whose rhythms are contagious and easy to dance to, as well as the "Cradle of Bachata," a music genre that originally came from poor neighborhoods in our bigger cities, and evolved in to the international phenomenon that it is today.

While most of the Dominican Republic is Catholic in terms of faith, baseball is practically our national religion. Our passion for baseball is shared with the Republic of Korea, where Dominican players regularly playing in the KBO, as well as almost 200 Dominican athletes that are part of the MLB's current lineup in the United States. This national pastime is so important that it's entrenched in our culture and traditions.

We've maintained very close relations with the Republic of Korea for many decades now, serving as partners and allies in multilateral organisms, maintaining strong bilateral relations where Korean cooperation programs are of the upmost importance and are executed through its different agencies, as well as the opening our doors for the active investment of Korean enterprises that are integral to the Dominican Republic's economy.

History, music, beaches, baseball and above all else, the friendliness and hospitality of our people are what best characterize the Dominican Republic, a small bit of paradise located in the heart of the Caribbean, that what one of our best poets described as being "the same path as the sun."

Humberto Salazar is the Dominican ambassador to Korea.


Yi Whan-woo yistory@koreatimes.co.kr


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