Envoy opens doors with taekwondo

우르과이 Chaben대사는 35년간 무술을 공부한 특이한 이력을 가지고태권도 4단 보유자다. 그의 삶이 코리아헤럴드에 보도됐다. 태권도에 대한 애착으로는 <the way of the foot and fist>, <the way of kicking and punching>등의 번역을 하기도 했다.

For the Uruguayan envoy, the past four plus years were a fulfilling experience both personally and professionally.

The ambassador took a country that was not in the Uruguayan consciousness and brought it to a position where it is now known.

Ambassador Nelson Chaben revealed to The Korea Herald that he has received his 4th-dan black belt in taekwondo.

“It’s a great accomplishment, a dream come true, because I got a certificate in the land where taekwondo was born,” he said.

Chaben has been studying the martial art for about 35 years. His motivation for studying taekwondo is found in its meaning, loosely translated as “the way of the foot and fist” or “the way of kicking and punching.”

Uruguay Ambassador Nelson Chaben demonstrates a taekwondo stance. Yoav Cerralbo/The Korea Herald

Besides being an ambassador and taekwondo athlete, Chaben is also a classical pianist.

I really wanted to learn a martial art but I wanted to make sure to protect my hands because of my piano playing,” he said.

Indeed, Chaben can break planks of wood and other objects with his hands but tries to avoid it because of the possibility of injury which would sideline him from his piano playing.

It was through taekwondo that Chaben introduced his country to Korea.

In the beginning of 2006, the ambassador was given the difficult task of re-opening an embassy that had been closed for four years due the banking crisis that hit the Latin American country.

The crisis was caused by a considerable contraction in Uruguay’s economy and by over-dependence on neighboring Argentina, which experienced an economic meltdown itself in 2001.

The first year of Chaben’s arrival was not a rosy one.

There was no chancery, no residence, no staff, no car … no presence.

In 2002, bilateral trade between the two countries was a mere $40 million.

By 2008, two-way trade had ballooned to $141.8 million, despite falling 23 percent due to the economic crisis.

Always upbeat and looking at the glass as half full, Chaben was ecstatic to be in a country that he fell in love with through taekwondo.

The ambassador explained that the sport opened up many doors.

“For example, Ban Ki-moon, when he was Foreign Minister introduced me to the president of the World Taekwondo Federation who also knew many people,” he said.

One of the products he started to promote right away was wine. At the time, wine was new and fresh in Korea.

Made from tannat grapes, Uruguayan wine found a small but upscale market due to its strong taste.

“In my promotional endeavors, I gave more than 1,000 bottles in four years. Before that nobody knew that Uruguay produces wine,” he said.

Then came the promotion of people-to-people exchanges in the business sector through several economic missions between both countries.

What really helped to propel the relationship was the visit of the Uruguayan president in the summer of 2008, the first presidential visit to Korea in 45 years.

“After that our relationship really became closer,” Chaban said.

One product the ambassador is promoting heavily is Uruguayan beef.

When The Korea Herald conducted its first interview with Chaben soon after his arrival he said that this was of the highest priority.

Korean firms used to import Uruguayan beef until 2002, when foot and mouth disease hit South America.

Now Uruguay, as well as other South American countries, requires vaccination of their cattle to prevent another outbreak.

The law in Korea, however, requires imported beef to be free of disease without vaccination, something that many countries in Latin America and the world have complained to the Korean authorities and the World Trade Organization about.

Chaben found an avenue by importing precooked Uruguayan beef, but the big winner will be fresh beef.

“The Korean authorities are analyzing a 1,500 page report which will take some months to study because it is complicated,” he said. “But, we are one more draft away before the final agreement.”

Chaben is going back home to a promotion, he will be heading the position of general secretary of the Foreign Ministry in Montevideo, the highest position for a career diplomat.

There are many reasons for this but the one that really hit the mark was making Korea a hub for Uruguayan products in Asia.

“I thank my performance in Korea and taekwondo for this,” he said.

By Yoav Cerralbo  (yoav@heraldm.com)

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