The life of diplomats involves inevitable periodic movement .I would be leaving Seoul soon after a very fulfilling three years in this dynamic country.I am often asked about my impressions of the country and its people,and I thought of sharing some of my reflections with the readers of The Korea Times.

It is rare in other countries for the civil society to work together with the government and institutions to pursue common goals.A noticeable attribute of the Korean society is the passion with which the people embrace a cause .Once the imagination is fired,vast energies flow to achieve the desired objectives.The world witnessed this last year with the flawless organization of the G20 summit.

The numerous think tanks,institutions and scholars made their contribution at their own initiative to the preparations leading to the summit.Again,the campaign for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics in 2018 was  truly national and passionate.