Austria's honorary consulate in Busan opened last month

'I will commit every effort to serving as a bridge between the two countries'

Baek Jeong-ho, chairman of Dongsung Chemical (third from right), poses for a photo with Eva Marie Lusek, Austrian ambassador to South Korea (fourth from right), and other attendees at a reception marking the opening of the Austrian Honorary Consulate in Busan. [Dongsung Chemical]
Baek Jeong-ho, chairman of Dongsung Chemical (third from right), poses for a photo with Eva Marie Lusek, Austrian ambassador to South Korea (fourth from right), and other attendees at a reception marking the opening of the Austrian Honorary Consulate in Busan. [Dongsung Chemical]

Dongsung Chemical announced Tuesday that its chairman, Baek Jeong-ho, has been appointed honorary consul of Austria in Busan.

Baek will serve as a bridge to promote economic and cultural exchange and strengthen cooperation between South Korea and Austria. The Austrian Honorary Consulate in Busan was established at Dongsung Chemical's headquarters and officially opened June 15.

A reception to mark the opening was held the previous day at The Plaza hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, with Austrian Ambassador to South Korea Eva Marie Lusek and Cho Dong-seong, dean of the Honorary Consular Corps in Korea, among the dignitaries in attendance.

"Korea and Austria have built a strong and enduring friendship grounded in trust and mutual respect, and I feel the weight of that responsibility as honorary consul," Baek said at the event. "I will commit every effort and my whole heart to serving as a bridge — one that connects not only the political and economic spheres of the two countries, but also their cultures and people."

Ambassador Lusek said a strong bilateral relationship is built not only by governments, but also by dedicated individuals who connect people, institutions and ideas. "Honorary Consul Baek Jeong-ho is exactly the kind of person who embodies that spirit," she said.


keg@heraldcorp.com