Singapore ND party noted for Ilpa Manpa

There a number of distinctions from other National Day celebration functions, but two things stood out. It was attended by Minister of National Defense Kim Kwang-jin and there was a witty Korean expression used by Ambassador Chuan.

Normally in Korea when a new President is inaugurated, he/she replaces all the cabinet ministers as well as the Presidential secretaries and aides. Kim, appointed by the predecessor of the incumbent President continues to hold his post.

The other difference was the common Korean expression Ilpa Manpa (一波 萬波), literally ‘One wave causes ten thousand more waves.’ Ilpa Manpa is used in expressing when a small incident brings about a very grave result.

Normally it is used in reference to something small done wrong that causes many ill effects, but sometimes it is also used when a little something good done brings about many good results.

There was another thing, Ambassador Chuan obviously knew how the guests felt when the speeches were many in number and long in size. He declared he would make it short, and he did.

There were many Korean and international guests. The Korean guests included, besides Defense Minister Kim, Vice Speaker Park Byeong-seug of the National Assembly (main opposition Democratic Party), Chairman Ahn Hong-joon of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee of the Assembly and Ambassador Park Joon-woo (senior Presidential secretary for political affairs) and Ambassador Ju Chul-ki (senior Presidential secretary for Foreign Affairs).

Speaking to the guests Ambassador Chuan said in part:
“Tonight, I do not intend to make a long speech. The video montage that we have been playing is a showcase of the excellent relations between Singapore and Korea. It also shows the many aspects of the engagement with our friends in Korea - be it over formal meetings or over a golf game - which is commonly known as a ‘green meeting’ or even over noraebang. The bonds and friendship developed over these exchanges have certainly contributed to closer relations between our two countries. Through the video montage, we also hope to attract all of you to Singapore!

“Tonight is not only about Singapore’s National Day. It is about Singapore’s excellent relations with Korea. It is about what we have achieved working together. It is also about the Embassy’s ties with everyone here tonight. Without all your support, my dear friends, the Embassy’s work would have been very much more difficult. To this, let me humbly say, “I Thank You”.

“Before I end, let me recall a Korean phrase which I shared with my friends during last year’s National Day Reception. Golfers in Korea would be familiar with the phrase Ilpa Manpa. For the non-golfers, briefly explained, when someone gets a par for the first hole, the other members of the group also register a par. This typifies the generous nature of our Korean friends, and shows the win-win mentality. Going forward, I am sure Singapore and Korea will be each other’s Ilpa Manpa partners!

“Tonight, let me use this phrase Ilpa Manpa to make a toast. When I raise my glass and say: Shin-Han Guangei (Singapore-Korea Relations), please respond by saying Ilpa Manpa.

“Let me now propose a toast firstly, to the President of the Republic of Korea Her Excellency Mdm Park Geun-hye, and to the continued friendly ties between the people of Singapore and South Korea and last but not least, to the prosperity of our two nations Shin-Han Gwan’gei”

There were many guests that evening from the Seoul Diplomatic Corps, who included Ambassadors Mohammad Yunos Farman of Afghanistan, Natallia Zhylevich of Belarus, Dato Haji Harun Ismail of Brunei Darussalam, Petar Andonov of Bulgaria, John A. Prasetio of Indonesia, Bakisher Dulat of Kazakhstan, Khamla Xayachack of Lao Republic, Dato Ramlan bin Ibrahim of Malaysia, Jose Luis Bernal of Mexico, Ganbold Baasanjav of Mongolia, Luis T. Cruz of the Philippines, Dusan Bella of Slovak Republic, Kittiphong Na Ranong of Thailand, Mohamed Ali Nafti of Tunisia, Vasyl Marmazov of Ukraine and Tran Trong Toan of Vietnam.