Next step : Korea?
By Cédric Pierre-Louis on Tuesday 12 January 2010, 03:13 - Professional Area - Permalink
Have you ever noticed that when you start a discussion about Asia, most often people spontaneously mention a short list of over mediatised countries. So when I first announced to my relatives and my friends that I was planning to move to Asia, they first think I will go to China. Obviously it was not a bad suggestion, all the more so I already studied a bit of Chinese (mandarin). Others evoke Japan, India or Singapour (for the most ...). Finally, when I admitted that I would rather go to South Korea, they were quite doubtful. However, after some explanations they realized that my interest in Korea was quite judicious.
I always been attracted by Asia and that is why I started learning chinese (mandarin) two years ago. To my mind, Asia, cradle of millenium civilisations, is the most attractive and inspiring places around the world. Now, among the Asia-Pacific countries, South Korea is the eighth largest trade partner of the European Union, but it is still little-known by European people. I think that has to change. If I want to go to Korea, that's because first I already have some friends and professional contacts mainly located in Seoul.
Then, as you may notice on this blog, I am also passionate by information techonologies (besides my master thesis was totally focused on ICT). So, It would be fantastic to live in a country like Korea, so advanced technologically speaking. Given, Korea is a world wide leader in IT and mass market electronic, living in such an innovative country would be a dream coming true.
Third, when I was doing my internship in Brussels as a junior consultant in european affairs, I kept monitoring the negociations about the free trade agreement between the European Union and South Korea. This agreement finally signed on october 15th 2009, strongly caught my attention on Korea as a possible destination for discovering Asia and working there. Indeed, this ambitious free trade alliance will surely bring great professionnal opportunities for (future:-) korean speakers interested in international trade, as I am.
Last but not least, France and South Korea have just signed a working holidays agreement, which is another good reason for living (at least) one year in the Land of the Morning Calm.
As a world citizen, borned in the Caribbean - an amazing patchwork of cultures
and people - I always feel like home wherever I go. So, for me, discovering new
cultures and being able to speak different languages is just priceless. Now,
after living in Spain, then in Belgium, I am looking forward to discover Korea
and learning Hangueul.