hankyoreh

By Lee Ji-eun, staff reporter

“Seoul is my city of birth, and the place I have always considered my second home. . . . I promise I will come back.”

Sung Kim, the US ambassador to South Korea, spoke these words on July 31 after being named an honorary citizen of Seoul.

“One of my favorite things to do after evening events has been to go on walks on Jeong-dong Road [near the ambassador’s residence], where you see the mixture of modern skyline and traditional architecture,” Kim added.

During the ceremony at Seoul City Hall, Kim received a certificate of honorary citizenship from Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon. Kim, who took office as ambassador in Nov. 2011, was born in South Korea and immigrated to the US while in middle school. He is fluent in both Korean and English.

The city noted that Kim was the first Korean-American US ambassador to serve in South Korea since the beginning of diplomatic relations in 1882.

“He has won praise for using his deep understanding of Korean history and culture to promote friendly relations between the two countries,” the city said.

Park said he had expected to “achieve many things” after growing close with Kim.

“It’s sad to see three years have already gone by,” he added. “But it is an honor to serve him as a citizen of Seoul, and I hope he will continue showing close attention to South Korea and Seoul in the future.”

Kim, who attended with his family, expressed thanks and praise for Park’s leadership and “efforts to make this beautiful city an even more beautiful place.”

Honorary Seoul citizenship is awarded to major overseas visitors who are seen as having contributed to the city’s administration. Other honorary citizens include Sichuan Province Gov. Wei Hong from China, Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla, onetime South Korean football team manager Guus Hiddink from the Netherlands, and American football player Hines Ward.

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