On Friday November 20th 2020, Ambassador of Canada to South Korea, Michael Danagher delivered an online lecture on Canada and its embassy's public diplomacy in Korea to Dongtan Global High School students.

The students took the opportunity to ask his thoughts on how the relationship between Korea and Canada has continued to grow so far, and about Canadians who have worked for Korea's independence movement.

Over the years, relations between Canada and South Korea have seen changes. As the envoy put it, they have matured. The history between the two dates back to the 1950-1953 Korean War, when Canada contributed 26,000 troops to United Nations Command. Official diplomatic relations were established in 1963 and elevated to a strategic partnership in 2014.

He did not forget to mention Frank Schofield, who supported 1919's March 1st Independence Movement. He came to Korea in 1916 to help the poor and actively supported independence fighters who took part in the March 1st Movement against Japanese colonial oppression and is called the "34th National Representative" in Korea.

The students had an opportunity to ask questions to the ambassador. When asked about what COVID-19 has changed in the diplomatic relationship, the envoy firstly talked about opportunities for stronger ties in offering equivalent opportunities for hygienic environment and facilities.

"The reality is that infectious diseases will re-emerge if we don't have a global response. So our countries are working very closely together to ensure that there is an access to vaccines by every country in the planet, which is an example of how our diplomatic relationship has changed. I hope COVID-19 will lead to our countries developing public health diplomacy as a part of our relationship," Danagher said.

He also talked about leadership changing as the world is changing with it. "I think in the past, a lot of leaders were focused on action management and on decisiveness, and now you see leadership skills are focusing on clues, inclusiveness, and on the ability to analyze and to listen. So, the most suitable way to develop a leadership skill is to be humble and to have that humility," he said.

As an ambassador, he said that the true democratization of diplomacy can be established if individuals are increasingly having a role in the conversations of what is affecting us all on a global basis. As the WTO has been attacked by certain people for not being robust enough or not necessarily reflecting their national interest, he also noted the importance of the international community that takes on the task of reforming the organizations. "It's important that the rule of international law is established and it is adhered to as much as possible even by the most powerful members of the international community."

Through this opportunity, we could fully understand the history of relationship between Korea and Canada. To take bilateral trade a step forward, we could also think of a way of developing our own ties, and learn about a new direction in diplomacy that meets the trend of our times where solidarity is needed more than ever.

By Soo-Bin Cho
(DG reporter)