Historians are observers as they investigate and write their accounts of what happened in history of bilateral or multilateral diplomacy.
Diplomats, however, are more “action-oriented” than those theoreticians in that they are the players writing the history of diplomacy, a senior diplomat said, comparing the two jobs.
In an interview with The Korea Times Friday, Paik Ji-ah, 47, who was recently promoted to head the International Organizations Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, used the job analogy when asked what led her to feel rewarded as a career diplomat.
Since entering the foreign ministry in 1985 after graduating from Seoul National University the same year, Paik became the third female diplomat to rise to the post.
Through her assignments in New York, Thailand, Switzerland and Malaysia, Paik has been trained as a specialist in multilateral diplomacy.
“We, diplomats, have to move from one location to another every two to three years. Our children have to move from the educational system that they came to be used to the new one for new adjustment when their parents are called upon to other posts, which is challenging,” she said.
Balancing work and family is another challenge that women diplomats have to deal with.
Despite the hardship, Paik said she never regretted her career choice, calling her job a nice one indeed.
Paik said as chief of the international organizations bureau, she will put priority on placing more aspiring Korean U.N. workers in the U.N. system.
Her comments came in response to an increasing number of Koreans in their 20s and 30s taking interest in U.N. jobs as a career.
Every year, the foreign ministry has hosted events where human resource managers from the U.N. and other international organizations are invited here to give talks or presentations on what qualifications or job skills are needed to become professionals in those organizations.
This year, some 1,000 college students and 600 graduates flocked to events held in Seoul and Busan in early June, reflecting young people’s keen interest in the global jobs.
In response to the soaring interest, Paik said there are two roles that the foreign ministry can play in helping aspiring U.N. workers ? giving them easier access to information on job openings and receive advisory services.
“We can connect those who need qualified human resources at the U.N. and those who are pursuing the career through forums, seminars or other events,” she said.
“We can also let the job candidates be exposed to the community where they can get tips and advice from current U.N. employees with regard to their experiences.”
외교관 성별 장벽 깨다
역사가들은 관찰자들이다. 양자 또는 다자 외교에서 일어나는 사건들을 조사하고 자신의 판단을 쓰기 때문이다.
하지만 외교간들은 외교사를 쓴다는 점에서 이 이론가들보다 더 행동 지향적이라고 볼 수 있다며 한 외교관이 이 두 직업을 비교했다.
최근 외교 통상부의 국제기 국장으로 승진한 백지아(47)씨는 코리아 타임즈와의 인터뷰에서 자신이 직업 외교관으로 서 자신의 직업에 보답을 받았다는 느낌이 드느냐는 질문에 이 같이 두 직업을 비교해 표현했다.
백씨는 1985년에 서울대학교를 졸업 후 같은 해에 외무부에 입사했다. 여성으로서 세 번 째다.
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