By Park Sung-hee
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MOFAT) is having difficulty finding officials willing to work in Russia. Though Russia along with the United States, Japan, and China is seen as one of the four countries that are pivotal to the foreign relations of South Korea, many diplomats are hesitant in settling down in the country, mainly due to the harsh living conditions that mostly result from Russia’s inflation that increase the cost of living.
“Pursuing the duty of a diplomat is important, but the basic standards of living need to be raised there,” said an official from the Ministry.
According to statistics given by the ministry, only about half of those wanting to work in the U.S., Japan, and China are approved, while there is barely enough applicants interested in going to Russia.
But this may not be all to the picture. United States has been a significant ally since the wake of the Korean War (1950-53), and China and Japan’s proximity to the Korean peninsula make them influential actors, but to many South Koreans, Russia is still seen as a far-away country that is often times not in line in terms of culture and values with South Korea.
“Though Russia is seen as a country with potential, people are still unfamiliar with it,” said Kim Sung-woo, the 27-year-old who had spent his young years abroad in many countries including Russia and other former Soviet Union countries until moving back to Korea in 2006. “And while other foreign languages are important this comes after mastering English which explains the continuous preference (in South Korea) for English-speaking countries.”
As the majority of South Korean public workers that get sent abroad are higher officials who mostly have teenagers, education is another factor that adds to the “demerits” of Russia.
“For students who are motivated and want to learn, there are actually a lot of chances for class debate and communication between teachers and students due to the low student-teacher ratio in Russia,” said Kim Yoo-joung, the 26-year-old who had gone abroad to Russia in middle school and spent eight years there, speaking of the Russian secondary education system. “But I think it all comes back to the emotional sentiment that Russians and Koreans are just different, and the negative stereotypes that still persist for Asians in the country which worries parents that have teenagers who have to adapt to an entirely new environment.”
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