Sri Lanka Fetes 68^th Independence in Seoul, Gimhae

The Sri Lanka Embassy in Korea organized a series of events in Seoul and Gimhae from end-January to early-February 2016, to celebrate the 68^th anniversary of the country’s independence.

The Embassy on 3 February organized a grand reception at the Millennium Seoul Hilton hotel which was attended by over 400 dignitaries that included Ambassadors and the diplomatic corps, Korean dignitaries, Members of the National Assembly, businessmen and other friends of Sri Lanka.   The Guest of Honour on the occasion was Hon. Shin Dong-ik, the Deputy Minister for Multilateral and Global Affairs of the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs who delivered Congratulatory Remarks on behalf of the Korean Government.  The Toast was proposed by Mr. Shin Jung-Teak, Sri Lanka’s Honorary Consul in Busan and CEO of SEUN Steel, who extended his support towards this important event.

The Sri Lanka Food Festival held for 10 consecutive evenings from 28 January to 7 February, at the Millennium Seoul Hilton (Cafė 395), showcasing authentic Sri Lankan food and Ceylon tea was a great success.   The Festival which also displayed the rich range of Sri Lankan spices (courtesy MA’s Foods) and ‘Ceylon Spa’ products, was attended by enthusiastic Korean food lovers.  The Food Festival was jointly inaugurated on 28 January by Sri Lanka’s Ambassador in Korea Manisha Gunasekera; Mr. Eric Swanson, General Manager, Millennium Seoul Hilton; Mr. Tae-Yong Shinn, Chairman, Korea Importers Association (KOIMA); Ms. Bonil Koo, CEO, Buddhist True Network; and Mr. Young-Hoon Chang, Executive Director, Korea EXIM Bank.  The inauguration which also featured a Sri Lankan traditional drum performance, was also attended by the Korean print and electronic media.  The Food Festival was organized in collaboration with the Millennium Seoul Hilton and the Hilton Colombo, with the latter providing an experienced Sri Lankan Chef who prepared authentic Sri Lankan delicacies.  The connoisseur of tea was able to sample a range of specialty world renowned Ceylon teas courtesy RCK Enterprises, the Distributor of Mlesna Tea.

The Embassy in collaboration with the Sri Lankan community in Korea organized a very successful National Day Celebration on 7 February at Inje University in Gimhae City.  The Event, towards which particular support was extended by the Sri Lankan community representatives in Gimhae, was attended by over 500 Sri Lankans from different regions in Korea, as well as Korean dignitaries.  Special Guests that attended the celebrations included Ms. Myeong Heui Kim, Director General, Gimhae City Office (representing the Mayor of Gimhae); Prof Yongsun Choi, President, Industry-Acadamic Cooperation Foundation of Inje University; dignitaries of Korean Temples in Busan, and selected companies in Gimhae with Sri Lankan workers.  Special congratulatory messages were issued specially for the occasion by His Worship Hong Junpyo, Governor of Gyeongsangnam Province, and Her Worship Seong-hye Yun, Acting Mayor of Gimhae City, who extended their full support towards making the event a success.   Eight Korean employers were presented with plaques of appreciation on the occasion. 

The celebrations also included an attractive Cultural Programme featuring traditional Sri Lankan dance, music as well as contemporary music, put together by the Organising Committee in Gimhae.  This was the first occasion on which the Sri Lanka Embassy organized a National Day Reception for the Sri Lankan community in Gimhae, a region which is home to about 4,000 Sri Lankan migrant workers.

Embassy of Sri Lanka

Seoul, Republic of Korea

22 . 02. 2016