19 June 2022, Seoul. The Philippine Embassy in Seoul celebrated Dr. Jose P. Rizal's 161st Birth Anniversary on 19 June 2022 at the Sentro Rizal Seoul. Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega welcomed guests to the event and emphasized in her message that "[t]here is always a Rizal for everyone." Noting the many facets of the national hero's life, Ambassador Dizon-De Vega said that Dr. Rizal wore many hats - including as a poet, ecologist, artist, inventor, medical practitioner, and illustrator, among others - that made him relatable to every Filipino.

The event featured a floral offering to Dr. Rizal and a screening of Prof. Ambeth Ocampo's Magisterial Lecture at the Ateneo de Manila University on his award-winning book "Rizal Without the Overcoat."

The guest of honor was Dr. Jeom Suk Yeon, Professor Emeritus at the Kyung Hee University, who earned her Ph.D. in English at the University of the Philippines and taught English for more than 35 years. She has translated Rizal's immortal poem Mi Ultimo Adios in the Korean language and published essays on Jose Rizal and Philippine literature in Korean academic journals and magazines. She shared her insights from her own experience of doing research and writing on Rizal and read a few stanzas of the poem in Korean for the audience.

Consul General Romulo Victor Israel, Jr. in closing the program said that the legacy of our acclaimed national hero is universal and still relevant today. With the help of fraternal orders and societies, such as the Knights of Rizal, he said that Filipinos can better be guided in learning more from Rizal's life and works and in our quest to live up to his ideals and aspirations for our country.

The event was attended by Embassy personnel, heads of attached agencies, and guests including Filipino scholars who are presently studying in South Korea. END.