Korean woman joins Australian Embassy

Park Young-Sook, considered to have extensive familiarity with the diplomatic circles in Seoul, will relocate her position from the British Embassy's Public Information Bureau to the Australian Embassy.

Park, who through her vast resource in keeping tuned various relations with the media and those in the political and economic spheres, has provided an enriching service to the promotion of the British Embassy. While her relocation itself is newsworthy, the cause behind her transfer is heart-rending.

Starting next month, Park will report to the Australian Embassy as the head of the Cultural Information Bureau. As head of the Cultural Information Bureau includes the promotion of the home country and the information release of the important matters to the resident country, the position necessarily had been generally filled by diplomats dispatched by home countries. The transfer to the position of the head of the Cultural Information Bureau can be seen as a promotion from her previous position and is the highest attained by a Korean national in foreign diplomatic organization.

Park began her 18-year career in 1982 through a public announcement for employment at the British Embassy.

It has been revealed that one of the reasons for her decision to close out her long career at the British Embassy is related to her work at the Korean Foster Parents Association (02-706-7177, babylove.simin.org), where she is the president. Founded last May by her, the association provides foster parents to children who have been abandoned and have nowhere to turn.

With the opening of the Open House in the Songpuk area of Seoul, where children could come to rest, the association became debt-ridden.

Of the 150 million won debt, 50 million won was donated by friends and acquaintances. However, she did not have the means to repay the remaining 100 million won. As a last resort, she decided to repay the debt with her severance bonus pay from the British Embassy.

During her negotiation with the Australian Embassy, which hoped to scout her, she asked for the Embassy's acknowledgment of her position as the president of the Korean Foster Parents Association.

"I was always uneasy with having to divide my time for my two occupations,¡± she said. ¡°However, this time, I sought an active acknowledgment as a condition. Not only in taking care of the children, but in my new work, I will try my utmost to not disappoint anyone."

Lee Wan-Bae roryrery@donga.com