Ambassador of Switzerland to the Republic of Korea

WELCOME

I wish all readers of our Embassy Newsletter the very best for the new year.

The past year was an important one for us as we celebrated the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Switzerland and South Korea, and we look forward to using this as a springboard to further strengthen our ties in many areas. You can also watch the video produced by the Embassy to see various scenes from the year.

The year 2024 will be particularly significant, as Switzerland and the Republic of Korea will simultaneously become non-permanent members of the UN Security Council, emphasizing joint efforts at the global level for human security and comprehensive peace. We look forward to an extraordinary year in which our two countries will work closely together for global security and peace.

In January and February, South Korea's iconic mountainous terrain, Gangwon Province, will be a center for winter sports. In January, the 4th Gangwon Winter Youth Olympic Games will bring together about 1,900 young athletes from all over the world, including Switzerland and Korea, for sports and cultural exchange, mainly in the province's two cities, Pyeongchang and Gangneung. In February, the 41st International Ski Festival will be held in Yongpyong. It will be a great celebration for expatriate winter sports fans living in Korea. More details can be found in our newsletter.

This newsletter also contains information for Swiss expats planning to retire abroad. As part of the Consular Directorate's "Ageing Abroad" project, a new page on "Retiring Abroad" has been published on the Embassy's website. This page is intended to provide general guidance in areas such as health and prevention, financial matters, health insurance, taxation, etc.

I hope we have aroused your interest and wish you a wonderful start of the new year.

Dagmar Schmidt Tartagli,

Ambassador of Switzerland to the Republic of Korea