The 7th Korea-Spain Forum was held in Seoul on July 26-27, with the participation of a 30-member Spanish delegation, to discuss ways to expand bilateral exchanges in public and private sectors. The forum was jointly hosted by the Korea Foundation and Casa Asia, along with Hankuk University of Foreign Studies which joined the annual event for the first time as a co-organizer. Taking this opportunity offered to me by the Korea Foundation, I would like to look back at how the forum was launched and how it has grown into a vital channel of dialogue between our two nations.

Nine Years of Cooperative Efforts

The Korea-Spain Forum, which had its inaugural session in Seoul in 2003, aims to serve as a bridge of understanding between the civil societies and policy institutions of Korea and Spain. I am deeply proud that the forum has played the role of a solid channel to enhance friendship and cooperation between our two countries over the past nine years. I am also very pleased that the people of both countries have come to recognize the vast potential to develop relations between our two nations. Politically, Korea and Spain have trodden a similar path in modern history, overcoming dictatorship and achieving a strong democracy. Moreover, in terms of economy, both our countries are influential middle powers with a distinctive presence on the international arena, including the G20. Also, our civil societies with creative potential are our valuable assets.

Much in Common, Much to Learn from Each Other

Geographically, Korea and Spain are located far away from each other. But the latest forum reaffirmed once again that we are much closer neighbors than generally thought. All the participants engaged in passionate and lively discussions on diverse topics in order to learn from each other and share their experiences. We indeed have a lot to learn from each other in diverse fields, including tourism, technological development, and immigration policies, as well as mutual exchanges with Latin America. There also is much potential for cooperation in the cultural field. The Castilla language, universally recognized as standard Spanish, is a core element of Spanish culture, along with the Catalunya, Basque, and Galician languages. I believe that such linguistic richness is another highlight of Spain’s cultural diversity.

The tightly-scheduled, two-day forum proved that Spain is moving in the right direction to deepen its relations with the Korean people and the nation’s leading institutions. Our big challenge today is not to remain complacent with the present situation. We are now living in an “era of constant changes,” which calls for us to adapt ourselves to new methods to better understand relationships, due to the speed of incidents that affect our daily lives, whether actively or passively. In times past, a diplomatic message took years to be delivered to its recipient. We then used mail and fax transmission, and today we live in an era of e-mail, Internet, and video conference. Therefore, our means of exchange should also be adapted to the new era, when speed counts, so as to deepen and strengthen our relations.

Advancing Mutual Interests

Through this forum, we were able to renew our commitment to intensify and revitalize relations between our two nations beyond strategic ties. Now, it’s time to realize our numerous expectations. In order to do so, we should faithfully implement follow-up measures to all proposals presented at the forum and materialize the results in the year ahead. The next forum is scheduled to be held in Malaga City, home to the University of Malaga which is carrying out meaningful activities with exemplary visions. Korea has many similarities with Spain and occupies leading positions in diverse fields, offering mutually beneficial opportunities for both nations. The Spanish people have a keen interest in becoming closer to the Korean people, and at a time like this, it was not easy to select the city to host the next Korea-Spain Forum from among many candidates. In this regard, we expect the next forum will mark an epoch-making event in Korean-Spanish relations.

Spain already recognizes Korea as a model country in major technologies and an advanced economy. Therefore, the remaining task before us is to prepare opportunities for more youth and students of both countries to exchange their ideas in culture and education. At the same time, the two countries should continue cooperation in areas with significant development potential, such as services, renewable energy, tourism, diversity management, and multiculturalism. These endeavors will require closer collaboration between policy institutions, or more specifically, relevant cities. In regard to inter-city cooperation, Barcelona can be cited as a model case.

Lastly, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude for the wonderful organizational capability displayed by the Korea Foundation and Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, as well as the immense hospitality extended to every member of the Spanish delegation and the patience and understanding of diverse internal circumstances in Spain, which was instrumental for the success of the forum. I am so pleased to have hosted a great forum, spending time with such a wonderful group. I once again convey my gratitude and hope to see everyone in Malaga next year.

Rafael Bueno
Director of Politics and Society, Casa Asia