Tried not to miss a local tour organized by The Korea Post media
By The Korea Post Reporter Hillary Kang
Ambassador Gonzalo Ortiz of Spain in Seoul is leaving Korea in November after a successful tour of duty in Korea for three years and ten months.
Ambassador Ortiz has been very active in bringing Korea and Spain together in various areas, including personal friendship between Ambassador Ortiz himself and the Korean government leaders, especially the provincial governors, mayors and county magistrates. He obviously made it a rule, like many other hard-working ambassadors in Korea, to work beyond the call of duty when it came to promoting relations between Korea and Spain.
Some ambassadors stay most of the time in Seoul, plying between the embassy and their residence. However, there are others, and many others, who take the initiative and actively take part in various events and activities hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, other ministries and local governments. Ambassador Ortiz stands out from among them.
On Aug. 1, 2018, Ambassador Ortiz hosted a luncheon at his residence in Seoul, which was attended also by former President Park Chul of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, who is an expert on Spain, Spanish culture and Spanish language.
Ambassador said what he liked about having been in Korea was that the systems that were in place all worked smoothly. He also recognized Korea as being the 11th strongest economy in the world and showed admiration for how much Korea has transformed economically since its period of Japanese colonialism. He was not certain yet about what endeavors he would take on in the future but he presumed he might give lectures at universities or take on further diplomatic activities.
Ambassador Ortiz said that he wished to see the perseveration of some Korean heritage in the bustling areas of Korea. He noted for instance that in the City Hall area of Seoul, where ancient Korean palaces were located such as the Gyeongbuk Palace, the Changdeok Palace, and the Deoksu Palace, he saw many high-rise buildings and a modern franchise like Dunkin Donuts in the area.