By Reporter Anna Kim  

Foreign Minister Park Jin held a dialogue session in a town hall meeting format with the regular course students (total of 38) from the 10th Diplomatic Candidates Training Program* at the 18th-floor Seohee Hall of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on July 21.

Minister Park emphasized that South Korea bears a historic mission to contribute to the freedom, peace, and prosperity of the international community as a global pivotal country at the critical turning point of a significant era.

Minister Park reminded the candidates that South Korea is ranked as the world's 10th largest economy, 6th in comprehensive national power, 6th in the global AI index, and has achieved 1st place in Bloomberg's innovation index for two consecutive years. 

Additionally, South Korea has unveiled its first comprehensive regional strategy, the "Indo-Pacific Strategy for Freedom, Peace, and Prosperity," standing shoulder-to-shoulder with G7 advanced nations and possessing the capabilities of a top 8 country in the world. 

As aspiring diplomats representing the global pivotal country, he urged them to enhance their capabilities in strategic thinking, diplomatic expertise, practical knowledge, and foreign languages, while also building physical strength and a spirit of challenge.

Minister Park expressed his expectations that through such efforts, the diplomatic candidates would grow into outstanding diplomats who safeguard national interests with insightful and logical arguments in the ever-changing international landscape, akin to the statesman Seohee of the Goryeo Dynasty.

Furthermore, Minister Park shared anecdotes from the recent ASEAN-related Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in Jakarta from July 13 to 14. He mentioned that they successfully carried out more than 15 bilateral and multilateral official schedules, including bilateral meetings with Japan's Deputy Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa and China's Central Political Bureau member Wang Yi, as well as the trilateral meeting of foreign ministers from South Korea, the United States, and Japan. 

Additionally, they garnered support from numerous countries in denouncing North Korea's ICBM launch and promoted the 2030 Busan Expo campaign. Through these vivid and dynamic accounts from the diplomatic frontlines, they introduced the work of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Minister Park explained the South Korean government's commitment to strengthen cooperation with ASEAN in the era of the Indo-Pacific and the "Korea-ASEAN Partnership Initiative (KASI)." 

He emphasized that as more nations, including ASEAN countries, express a desire to meet with South Korea and as diplomatic exchanges increase, a sense of solidarity and understanding will be formed, leading to the accumulation of goodwill.

Moreover, responding to the candidates' inquiries, Minister Park provided guidance on effective time management, the efforts required to become a successful diplomat who is both a generalist and a specialist, and recommended books to enhance insights into international politics.

Furthermore, Minister Park listened to various thoughts on the goals and career paths of the diplomatic candidates and urged them to become diplomats who will lead South Korea's diplomacy in the right direction, elevating the nation's power, status, and interests while safeguarding its people, wherever they may be in the world, as diplomats of the global pivotal country.

This "Dialogue with Diplomatic Candidates" was prepared to encourage communication with the next-generation aspiring diplomats in a relaxed atmosphere and is highly regarded as an opportunity to strengthen the sense of public duty and responsibility among future diplomats who will continue the future of South Korea's diplomacy.