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Minseok Ko, Senior Partner at KORUS LAW, a boutique law firm specialized in providing legal services tailored to foreigners residing in South Korea (www.koruslaw.com), has recently been appointed as the Honorary Consul of Romania.

An Honorary Consul, in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, is an individual empowered with authority by the appointing country to serve as a civilian diplomat, bridging bilateral economic, cultural, and tourism exchanges. In fact, Honorary Consuls handle consular duties, including protecting the well-being of expatriates and travelers, as well as issuing visas.

Presently, there are over 100 Honorary Consuls actively serving in South Korea, with more than 90% being business professionals. However, even individuals with legal backgrounds, such as Minseok Ko, as well as professors or doctors, may hold this civil diplomatic position too. Noteworthy figures from the business realm, including Hyundai Group Chairman Jeong-eun Hyun (Brazil), Hanwha Group Chairman Seung-yeon Kim (Greece), YuYu Pharmaceutical Chairman Seung-pil Yu (Haiti), Boryung Pharmaceutical Chairperson Eun-sun Kim (Ecuador) and legal professionals like Yeong-hwa Seo, Senior Partner at Pusan Pacific Law Office (Denmark), have previously served or are actively serving as Honorary Consuls.

How did Minseok Ko manage to establish ties with Romania?

As an attorney at law, Minseok Ko has been at the forefront of providing various legal services to foreigners settling in South Korea, such as delivering lectures on ‘Basic Laws for Life in Korea’, publishing a ‘Daily Law Guidebook’, and developing the legal app ‘LifeInKorea’. Given his expertise in handling cases involving foreigners, he naturally forged connections with foreign diplomatic missions (embassies and consulates) in Korea. Following his appointment as the Honorary Legal Advisor to the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Korea in 2021, Minseok Ko continued his involvement with the Embassy of Romania in Korea. Minseok Ko gave responsive legal advice to the Romanian Embassy, constantly attended events hosted by the Romanian Embassy and provided legal support for Romanian nationals in South Korea. The Romanian Ambassador, H.E. Mr. Cezar Manole Armeanu, acknowledged Minseok Ko's commitment and legal prowess, leading to his appointment as the Honorary Consul of Romania.

The Romanian Ambassador expressed his expectation that “Minseok Ko, in his role as the Honorary Consul, would not only contribute to diplomatic relations between South Korea and Romania but also play a pivotal role in fostering civil exchanges between the two countries.”

One of the inauguration attendees – Junglim Lee, a Research Professor at Seoul Venture Graduate School, noted, "In the current climate of increased cooperation, not only in Romania's nuclear and defense projects but also in other areas, the appointment of Minseok Ko as Honorary Consul is expected to significantly contribute to enhancing economic and legal cooperation between South Korea and Romania."

Minseok Ko expressed his gratitude, stating, "I consider it a great honor to be appointed as the Honorary Consul of Romania. I will work diligently to promote Romania, which is still relatively unknown to Koreans. Alongside providing legal support to Romanian nationals residing in Korea, I aim to act as a bridge for Korean companies seeking investment opportunities in Romania. My aspiration is to contribute to cultural and economic exchanges between the two countries."

Minseok Ko added, “Notably, Romania and South Korea established diplomatic relations in 1990 and elevated them to a strategic partnership in 2008. As both countries celebrate the 34th anniversary of diplomatic ties in 2024, bilateral relations continue to thrive, especially in defense and nuclear cooperation. Last year, the trade volume between the two nations exceeded $1.3 billion, indicating the potential for further growth in economic collaboration."

Attendees of the inauguration ceremony included notable figures such as Romanian Ambassador Cezar Manole Armeanu, Romanian Peasant Museum Director Nitulescu Virgil, Incheon Metropolitan City Mayor Jeongbok Yoo, and Incheon Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Jae-seon Sim.

Minseok Ko's first official act as the Honorary Consul will be organizing a Romanian female painter' exhibition from January 31 to February 8 in Songdo, Incheon, and Yangjae, Seoul, aiming to enhance awareness of Romanian culture and art in Korea.

As a legal professional, Minseok Ko previously acted as a litigation case handler for foreigner-related matters in major national institutions such as the Seoul Metropolitan Council, Incheon Immigration Office, and the Busan District Prosecutor's Office. He accumulated expertise in foreign investment and business matters while working in the corporate advisory practice at HMP Law. Currently working as Senior Partner at KORUS LAW, he provides comprehensive one-stop legal services tailored to the needs of foreigners and teaches law as an adjunct professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies Law School.

The Honorary Consulate of Romania in Incheon is located at 23rd floor, Songdo Sea Walk In Terrace Halla, 313 Central-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, and will serve as a hub for Romanian nationals and those interested in Romania in Incheon.