I first met Szego Andrea, sociology professor of the Budapest College of Management, at a preparatory meeting for the World Cultural Content Forum (WCCF) held in Sinchon, Seoul, toward the end of March. Im Seong-ho, senior researcher at the Institute for Study of Media Culture at Sogang University, invited me to the meeting. Professor Szego said she has been spending more than 10 hours a day studying Korean while staying at Sogang University`s Gonzaga Hall. She introduced herself as the "inaugural president of the Korea-Hungary Society." Professor Szego looked special in my eyes when greeted me saying in Korean, “Annyeong haseyo. Bangapseumnia.” (How are you? Nice to meet you.) I had a separate meeting with her at Sogang University and listened to her talking about her special love for Korea.
- How did you come to have such a deep interest in Korea?
"When I was young, I studied at British universities such as the University of Cambridge and the University of Birmingham, where I met a small number of Korean students, who studied at school libraries until they closed late at night. I thought that the motherland of those students who were studying so hard must have a great potential. Ever since that time I have had a constant interest in Korea.”
- How did you get in touch with Koreans at first?
"I met Professor Ra Jong-yil at the University of Cambridge and then in Hungary back in the 1990s. Since then we have kept in touch and become friends. I had many opportunities to meet Koreans from the mid-1980s to the end of the decade. I visited Seoul to attend an international academic conference organized by Kyung Hee University through arrangements made by Professor Ra. As I learned that Koreans were diligent people, I came to build friendship with them and my interest in their country ever deepened. While Professor Ra was ambassador to the United Kingdom, I invited him to Hungary and arranged for him to give lectures at a few universities. Later I found there were no friendship organizations between our countries. I founded the Korea-Hungary Society in 2002 and became its president to serve in the post until now. Professor Ra and the Korean ambassador to Hungary were also involved in the launching of the society. My belief was that a private organization would be effective in promoting exchange between our two countries.” (Professor Ra Jong-yil who had a significant influence on her life is a graduate of the Department of Political Science, Seoul National University. He has served as a professor at Kyung Hee University and Korean ambassador to Britain and Japan, and is currently president of Woosuk University.)
- Tell us how Korea and Hungary came to establish diplomatic relations.
"Korea was actively pursuing North Policy under President Roh Tae-woo at the time. It was similar to Ostpolitik (Eastern Policy) of Willy Brandt, former chancellor of West Germany. At that time, with the Cold War regime nearing its demise, the countries of the former Soviet bloc were gradually opening up and approaching toward the West. Eastern European countries including Hungary had diplomatic relations with North Korea, but they were seeking a switch in their foreign policies to set up diplomatic ties with freer countries. As far as I know, the United States and the former Soviet Union made a secret agreement around 1985 (though not officially announced). The agreement said that Gorbachev would allow Eastern European countries to go their own ways. At the time, the Soviet Union could not afford to take care of Eastern European countries because it was already overwhelmed by its own problems. Foreign debts of Eastern European countries increased to worrisome degrees. Hungary and Poland were suffering from serious economic difficulties and countries of the Western world lent them dollars. I believe that President Roh understood the situations of Eastern European countries and felt that political changes were imminent in Eastern Europe. Korea chose Hungary as the first country with which to set up diplomatic ties in Eastern Europe. Thereafter, Korea expanded diplomatic relations with other Eastern European countries, including Poland.” (Professor Szego explained that Korea expanded diplomatic relations with Eastern European countries in an impressive move comparable to a "domino phenomenon.")
- Tell us about the situation in Hungary at the time.
"Hungary was achieving institutional changes under the surface. My country was caught in a ‘foreign debt trap` from the 1970s to the 80s. Foreign private banks offered huge loans to Hungary and in order to solve its debt problem, Hungary joined the International Monetary Fund in 1982. We became the most indebted country in Eastern Europe. Then, Western countries pressured Hungary to adopt a multiparty system using its foreign debt as a pretext. As such, Hungary`s systemic change began under external influence in 1987. Private organizations raised their voices to demand political change. IMF played a pivotal role in the process of political reform. This is not well known"
source:Korea Focus
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