Italian Ambassador Delivers Speech in Korean
Wears Hanbok to Celebrate Italian Republic Day in Seoul
The fact that the Italian Ambassador to Korea wore a hanbok and delivered a speech in Korean at the Italian Republic Day event in Korea has recently become a topic of discussion.
On July 20, various online communities and social networking services (SNS) were abuzz with the interview of Emilia Gatto, the Italian Ambassador to Korea, featured in a video uploaded on June 23 to the YouTube channel 'Alberto Mondi.'
The event where Ambassador Gatto's fashion and speech drew attention was held on June 2 at the Italian Ambassador's residence in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, to commemorate the birth of the Italian Republic in 1946.
Ambassador Gatto took the podium and spoke clearly in Korean. She said, "Here at the Italian Embassy, all of us work together as one team," and added, "I want to introduce Italian people to Korea's technology and history." Italian broadcaster Alberto Mondi explained, "The Ambassador delivered her entire speech in Korean from start to finish."
In the interview, Ambassador Gatto explained that she gave her speech 100% in Korean because "I like the Korean language. Through language, I can discover various aspects of Korean society, culture, and the Korean people."
Emilia Gatto, the Italian Ambassador to Korea, is being interviewed by Italian broadcaster Alberto Mondi at the Italian Ambassador's residence in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on the 2nd of last month. Captured from the YouTube channel 'Alberto Mondi'
She also said, "I have become a fan of King Sejong." She elaborated, "Nowhere else in the world has a single person created a writing system."
Ambassador Gatto also explained the significance of wearing a hanbok instead of traditional Italian attire for the Republic Day event. On that day, she wore a hanbok jeogori embroidered with the Italian tricolor flag on a white base. The skirt was red, and the waistband and cuffs of the jeogori were designed in green, evoking the image of the Italian flag. She expressed her satisfaction, saying, "It seems to symbolize the friendship between Italy and Korea."
Ambassador Gatto said, "Korea, with its strong soft power in K-pop, K-dramas, and K-beauty, is already making its presence felt throughout Europe." However, she added, "There are deep and authentic aspects of Korean culture and history that we do not yet know. I believe it is important to introduce the various cultural aspects of Korea that are not yet widely known to the world."
She continued, "On the other hand, while Italy is well known for its history and cultural heritage, it is not widely recognized as a 'technological powerhouse.' Changing this perception is a very important task for me. I believe Korea and Italy have a complementary relationship. I hope that more people will be able to learn about Korea's deep and rich culture."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
