Written by: Martin Uden  |  Posted on: March 31st, 2023

Looking back at my report for last year, I was a little amused to see that I highlighted the changeover from Ambassador Park to Ambassador Kim. So this year I need to mention the changeover from Ambassador Kim to Ambassador Yoon, and we very much hope I won’t have to report another changeover next year! We continue to be very fortunate in the ambassadors sent to London who are consistently of such high calibre and are such staunch supporters of the Society.

I do not wish to pre-empt the reports you will be hearing in the next few minutes since they will give a better and more detailed overview of what we achieved in 2022. All told, we have returned to a very stable basis all round. The events and grants programmes continued to be challenged by our emergence from Covid measures but are now steaming ahead. Our finances are more than robust, and I will have it as a mission to ease down our reserves by way of subsidy to our major events – tonight being an example I should say. Membership remains broadly stable, but I believe that there is more we should do to make sure that our new members feel welcomed into the Society, and we are taking steps to ensure that.
 
 

In terms of highlights of the year, I would say how pleased I was with the outcome of our annual dinner and reception, held respectively in February and November, as well as the event we held at the National Army Museum in May to honour veterans of the Korean War. All of these were major efforts for our volunteers and I am very grateful for the support shown by the members.
I would like to say a few words about the anniversaries that will be taking place this year, that is to say the 140th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and the 70th anniversary of the Armistice ending the fighting in the Korean War.

The Embassy is moving forward with its plans for these commemorations, but the Society is also keeping a close eye to see what we might be able to contribute.

Further details will emerge, but at present the National Army Museum is keen to do another event similar to last May, only this time open to the public, and that will take place in July. And in the autumn, the Embassy will join with us in an event at the House of Lords to mark the anniversary of diplomatic relations. We hope this will be a landmark event in many ways for such an important relationship, and I would urge you to mark it in your diary – Tuesday 21 November – and bring all your friends!

I regret to say that I have to admit to an oversight that I only spotted over the weekend. Our constitution provides for two co-Presidents, one of which will be the Korean Ambassador. The other, currently our very own Sir Stephen Brown, was elected five years ago, and by rights should be re-appointed for a second and final term today. But since we did not give proper notice of this in the paperwork for the meeting, I would like to propose that this meeting informally asks Sir Stephen to stay in post for this next year and then next year we will retrospectively regularise his position. This is your cue for enthusiastic cheers of “5 more years,” and a rousing round of applause. May I have your agreement?

As is customary and only right, I would like to thank our sponsors whose support allows us to do far more than we would be able to with just our subscriptions. Clearly given where we are now, I must give pride of place to the support we receive from Samsung, which continues to be a very generous grant, but now also includes the use of these premises. The staff here have been unfailingly helpful and we are very grateful to them. I must also acknowledge the support we receive from the Korean Chamber of Commerce in the UK. But apart from this financial support, the Society would not be able to function without the volunteers who make up your committee. You will see their names when we reach the agenda item for their election, but I am most grateful to them all for the time and effort they put in. My thanks go to each one of them. I would particularly like to single out Dr Shin Woo-seung for heartfelt thanks. After many, many years of service on the committee, he has decided to stand down this year, and I am delighted to say that we still are finding excellent candidates to replace those who have to stand down for whatever reason. But thank you for your long service, Dr Shin!

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