The British Embassy celebrated the 90th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II at a reception last week that attracted some 800 influential guests.

In a speech at the embassy in Seoul on Thursday, British Ambassador Charles Hay said he had met the Queen last autumn shortly before taking up his ambassadorship.

“There is a strict protocol that these conversations are private,” he noted, “but I am sure she would not mind me revealing that she recalled with great pleasure the birthday she celebrated in Andong City (in North Gyeongsang Province) during her state visit to Korea in 1999.”

British Ambassador Charles Hay (left) speaks at a reception marking the 90th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II at the embassy in Seoul on Thursday. (Joel Lee / The Korea Herald)

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Kim Jong-deok (left). (Joel Lee / The Korea Herald)

This year has seen significant growth in bilateral trade and investment as well as diplomatic and military cooperation, he added. Four tankers were built by Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering for the Royal Navy, and Korea will soon receive the delivery of helicopters from Anglo-Italian company AgustaWestland.

On the cultural front, 2017 and 2018 have been designated years of British culture in Korea and Korean culture in Britain, with many festivals and events lined up. To mark the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s passing this year, a series of programs called “Shakespeare Lives” will be showcased in Korea.

In an interview with The Korea Herald, U.K. Deputy Head of Mission Sue Kinoshita said the Queen -- as the U.K.’s longest serving monarch, head of state and the head of the Commonwealth -- was “highly relevant” to the British diplomacy.

“There is a parallel between the anniversaries of the Queen and Shakespeare this year, because they are not only traditional images of Britain, but have stood the test of time for today’s global relevance,” Kinoshita underlined.

She added that the Jeonju Film Festival this year featured several movies based on Shakespearean plays, embellished with modern interpretation.

“As the head of the Commonwealth, which includes major powers like Canada, Australia and India as well as smaller countries, the Queen brings it all together. The organization acts as a force for good in global affairs.”

Kinoshita, who took the embassy’s second-highest post in August, joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1983. She has worked on Asia-Pacific regional affairs, European Union accession, and human resources and finances. 

U.K. Deputy Head of Mission Sue Kinoshita (Joel Lee / The Korea Herald)

British embassy (Joel Lee / The Korea Herald)

Between Britain and Korea, “a whole array” of areas remains crucial, she claimed, with political relations underpinning all others as a bedrock.

“We vote together on the United Nations more frequently than any other country, agreeing on a wide range of issues,” she said. “There is a risk that we might take one another for granted but that’s not the case. We recognize that we are kindred spirits, having common values and objectives.”

Despite the Korean economy’s downtick caused by slowing Chinese growth, she noted that British exports to Korea -- especially luxury brands, high-performance engineering products and industrial goods -- have lately doubled, while Korean exports to the U.K. have also surged, particularly since the EU-Korea free trade agreement came into force in 2011.

The diplomat added that she would like more of her country’s management, licensing, finance, insurance and legal services to make inroads here, as Korean enterprises increasingly look overseas. Citing a survey by the European Chamber of Commerce, she said the “unpredictability of regulations” was a sticking point that unsettles foreign firms.

“I would also like more Korean investment in the U.K, particularly in renewable energies like wind, solar and biomass,” the envoy pointed out. “Great potentials exist for investing in our infrastructure. A great example is the Mersey Gateway Project in Liverpool, which Samsung C&T Corporation has been contracted to build following bidding.” 

Reception at the embassy marking the Queen's 90th birthday (Joel Lee / The Korea Herald)

Reception at the embassy marking the Queen's 90th birthday (Joel Lee / The Korea Herald)

Reception at the embassy marking the Queen's 90th birthday (Joel Lee / The Korea Herald)

Educational exchange remains firm, according to her, as many Koreans study at universities across the British Isles. Four U.K. universities are in the world’s top 10 list, and some 1,000 Koreans also travel to the U.K. through a working holiday scheme.

“We would like to keep Korean graduates involved in our bilateral relations,” the envoy said. “The Imperial College London and University College London, not to mention Oxford and Cambridge, offer excellence in engineering and science, while many schools provide top curriculums in design, art, architecture and museum management, which perfectly feed into Korea’s creative industry strategy.”

The U.K. government grants the Chevening Scholarship to candidates who possess “strong leadership potentials,” while the North London Collegiate School has a campus on Jejudo Island offering British-style education to middle and high school students. The British Council Korea provides various education-related services between the two countries.

Kinoshita said she hopes to elevate the U.K.’s profile outside of Seoul, particularly in Korea’s second-largest city Busan, which London Mayor Sadiq Khan is scheduled to visit in July.

“As Busan has a cluster of marine offshore and shipping industries, thickening business links with British cities would present new opportunities,” she stressed. “Our current government has an ambition to develop regions north of England, in particular Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Leeds and Sheffield, as ‘northern powerhouses.’”

By Joel Lee (joel@heraldcorp.com)