Ambassador Lee Jaewoong Visits IWK Tampere
On 7 August, IWK Tampere was pleased to welcome H.E. Lee Jaewoong, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Finland.
The occasion was particularly important for our community. Ambassador Lee delivered to Director and Teacher Lee Mirim the official letter of appointment for her role in the 25th Peace and Unification Education Committee of the Republic of Korea.
Beyond this official moment, we also had the opportunity to sit down with Ambassador Lee for a conversation. As he has been in Finland for only around one and a half months, we were curious to hear his first impressions of his new home. Asked whether he was happy to be here, his answer came without hesitation: “Happier than I expected. That’s for sure.”
He spoke with good humour about the Finnish summer, especially compared with the heat and humidity of Seoul, joking that walking through the city at around 40°C can feel like being inside a steam cooker, slowly turning into a dumpling. Yet what he spoke about most warmly was not the weather, but the people. He described his conversations with Finns as one of the most valuable aspects of his experience so far—something he hopes will continue in the years ahead.
He also spoke fondly of Seurasaari, which he named as his favourite memory to date—the pleasure of discovering its traditional buildings and open-air museum reflecting someone who has taken the time to truly explore his new home, not simply pass through it for work.
The conversation naturally turned to Korea as well. Asked what food he would recommend to a visitor, he answered readily: kimchi first, followed by galbi (갈비) for those who eat meat, and vegetarian japchae (잡채) for those who do not. His enthusiasm for Korean cuisine and tradition was clear.
What we found especially meaningful, however, was what he said about seeing Korean culture embraced here in Finland. As it happened, his visit to IWK Tampere coincided with the first day of K-Playground organised by around 25 students from Korea. An afternoon of traditional Korean games was open to anyone who wished to join, giving Ambassador Lee the chance to see first-hand how Korean traditions are shared and enjoyed in our community.
Looking around him that day, he remarked on how striking it was to see Korean games, language and traditions embraced with such enthusiasm in a city so far from Korea. Seeing this, he said, gives him “some kind of momentum to work harder” for the relationship between the two countries—to bring Korea and Finland closer together and help people on both sides better understand one another. For us, those words carried particular meaning: a connection that begins with something as simple as a lesson, a game or a conversation can, over time, become part of something much larger.
Rather than simply observing, Ambassador Lee joined the students himself, taking part in a round of jegichagi (제기차기), in which a small jegi is kept in the air using only the feet. He told us he had been quite skilled at it as a boy—and proved it by playing alongside them. It was a brief and spontaneous moment, but one that revealed his cheerful and youthful side: for a few minutes, the formality of his position gave way to a familiar childhood game shared with a group of young people. It also served as a reminder that culture does not live only in books or official ceremonies—sometimes it is simply something we share with those around us.
That same warmth continued when the conversation turned to those learning Korean. Ambassador Lee acknowledged that Korean is a challenging language, but was quick to add that he understands this well, as he is currently learning Finnish himself. “So don’t worry too much, and let’s work hard to become more fluent.”
What remained with us after the visit was the sense of ease and openness Ambassador Lee brought to every interaction. His role is a formal and important one, yet the person we met was approachable, quick to laugh, and genuinely interested in everyone he spoke with.
At the same time, his connection to Korea was never far from the surface—in the way he spoke about food, tradition, and the value of Korean culture taking root abroad. For him, representing his country seems closely tied to people, not only to official duties, and that is something that resonates deeply with what we do at IWK Tampere.
We are grateful to Ambassador Lee for taking the time to meet our team, our students and our community. As he begins his mission in Finland, we warmly welcome H.E. Lee Jaewoong and wish him every success in the years ahead. We hope his time here brings many meaningful encounters and helps IWK Tampere continue to be one of the places where the friendship between Korea and Finland grows—through language, education, culture and, above all, people.
Written by Beatrice Ylitalo