SEOUL, 8 January 2016 – The Korean government has confirmed the Philippines’ appointment of an Honorary Consul General in Busan, with most areas in the southern regions of South Korea, in ceremonies held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Seoul on Friday, 8 January 2015.

MOFA Chief of Protocol Yoon Yeo-cheol read the exequatur signed by Korea’s Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se on 21 December 2015 to Mr An Sang-wook, professor of social welfare at Ko-shin University in Busan, and witnessed by Philippine Ambassador to Korea Raul S. Hernandez and Ambassador Kang Young-hoon, Director General of MOFA’s South Asia and Pacific Bureau. Apart from Busan, Korea’s second biggest city, Honorary Consul General An will be responsible for the special metropolitan areas of Ulsan, Daegu, Gwangju as well as the provinces of South Gyeongsang, South Jeolla, and Jeju Island. Also witnessing the ceremony were MOFA Director General for Protocol Affairs Lee Jung-il, the Philippine Embassy’s First Secretary and Consul General Roderico C. Atienza, MOFA Director for Diplomatic Mission Jang Ho-seung, and Honorary Consul for Haiti Yu Seung-pil, dean of the Korean Honorary Consuls Corps. Honorary Consul General An thanked the MOFA officials and expressed to Ambassador Hernandez his commitment to “enhance safeguard and interest to promote good relations among people, build and promote strong economic and cultural understanding” between the Philippines and Korea. Honorary consuls or consuls general are prominent local business or retired political leaders or government officials appointed to assist in fostering friendship and cooperation between the foreign country he or she represents and South Korea. They do not enjoy the same privileges as diplomatic officers, such as immunity from domestic laws and regulations. The Korean Honorary Consul Corps, which welcomes Honorary Consul General An into its circle, was established in the early 1970s when South Korea had diplomatic relations with few countries. As of 8 January 2016, there are some 135 such honorary consuls representing more than 107 countries in South Korea. – END–