▲ Various ambassadors to South Korea and their family members, along with representatives of SK Innovation, SK Forest, Korea JoongAng Daily, Heart-to-Heart Foundation take a group photo at the Great Melody in the Forest event held at SK SUPEX Center in Indeung Mountain, Chungbuk, South Korea on May 20, 2022.

Q1. We’re honored to have you as our guest at the Great Melody in the Forest event and the interview with SKinno News today. First, let’s greet our readers by briefly introducing yourself.

My name is Alejandro RODRÍGUEZ ZAMORA, Ambassador of Costa Rica to Korea. It is a great honor to address the distinguished readers of SKinno News Today, to share my experience in the Great Melody in the Forest event, co-hosted by SK Innovation.

I was appointed Ambassador of Costa Rica in Korea on August 1, 2020, and ever since my wife, Mrs. Lilliana TAPIA ARGUEDAS, and I arrived in Seoul, we have greatly enjoyed the goodness of heart and generosity of the Korean people. Moreover, we value the enriching cultural experience of our stay in this beautiful country.

Q2. We heard that Costa Rica is a beautiful country in Central America with rich biodiversity and amazing nature attractions. So I suppose you and many Costa Rican people enjoy activities in the nature just like this special event held in Indeung Mountain?

Costa Rica is a world-renowned tourist destination, with beautiful and extensive beaches full of sand, sun and nature, comfortable resorts on the Pacific and Atlantic coasts, paradise islands, lush mountains, active volcanoes, and incredible hot springs, to the idyllic coffee farms in the picturesque mountains and colorful valleys found all around the country.

What so far has set us apart from other tourist destinations is our ecotourism. Costa Rica is recognized as one of the pioneering countries in this sector, and one of the few true ecotourism destinations. I should mention that a fundamental characteristic of Costa Rica is its serious commitment to the protection of the environment and biological diversity. Our national parks and protected areas make up approximately 26% of our land.

▲ The beautiful nature in Costa Rica

Costa Rica is one of the few tropical countries that have managed to reverse the deforestation process, so much so that it has doubled its forest area in the last thirty years, covering half of its land area with trees.

For these reasons, Costa Ricans have learned to value, enjoy and respect nature, forests and biodiversity. Hiking through the mountains or along the woods has become a hobby for many Costa Ricans, which lets us do physical activity in contact with nature, by going into the forests and national parks, crossing rivers or streams, and appreciating the diverse species of native trees and plants, as well as interacting, in some cases, with the local wildlife.

During our stay in Korea, both my wife Lilliana and I have greatly enjoyed our walks and strolls through various mountains and hiking destinations, joining the numerous Koreans of all ages who frequent them. While on these walks, we were often impressed by the scenic beauty of the places that we visited, and by the admirable exuberance of the forests in Korea. That is why we have ventured on pleasant walks around Bukhansan (Baekundae), as well as Namsan Park, both in Seoul; Hamyang Daebong Mountain Valley in Hamyang-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do; Hallasan National Park, on Jeju Island; Taejongdae in Busan, and other incredible spots.

Among these unforgettable moments of joyful hiking in Korea, I must highlight our recent experience in Indeung Mountain, as part of the “Great Melody in the Forest”. I would like to add that, during my stay in the Republic of Korea, I have been informed about the admirable achievements this country has made in restoring its forests in a relatively short period of time, gaining the recognition of the international community for its strong commitment with reforestation, to the extent of hosting in May 2022 the global leaders of the XV World Forestry Congress, in Seoul. Indeung Mountain is a faithful reflection of the admirable effort of the Korean people and the Korean authorities towards restoration. For my wife Lilliana and me, walking the trails of Indeung Mountain, enjoying the beautiful landscape, fresh air, and diverse flora, made us feel privileged and honored to have been a part of “Great Melody in the Forest”, not only because we enjoyed the company of wonderful people, but also because we were able to enjoy a natural setting of splendid beauty.

Q3. What else did you like about our event?

“Great Melody in the Forest” was an event full of pleasant surprises, including its impeccable organization, the orderly and interesting agenda, the kindness and professionalism of the staff, the generosity and warmth of the representatives of the sponsoring institutions, the natural beauty of Indeung Mountain, the cozy atmosphere of the cabins, and particularly the praiseworthy performance and professionalism of the musicians who performed in the concert in the late afternoon.

▲ (Left) Guests of the event watch the performance by “Dream With Ensemble,” a GMF winner, at the “Great Melody in the Forest” event on May 20, 2022. / (Right) Costa Rican ambassador to South Korea Alejandro RODRÍGUEZ ZAMORA (first from right) enjoy the event before the main concert.

In any case, we will keep the “Great Melody in the Forest” event in our memories and hearts as one of the unforgettable experiences we lived during our time in Korea.

Q4. Did you discover anything new after joining this Great Melody in the Forest event?

▲ Costa Rican ambassador to South Korea Alejandro RODRÍGUEZ ZAMORA and his wife Lilliana TAPIA ARGUEDAS participate in the Healing Yoga training (left) and traditional Korean games (right) at the Great Melodies in the Forest event held on May 20, 2022.

A new experience I was able to try during our stay at the SUPEX Center was sleeping in the traditional Korean style, in the center’s cozy cabins. It was a truly valuable cultural experience, that stands out for its pleasant simplicity, accompanied by the lulling sound of night birds and the sound of the wind through the trees throughout the night. During dawn, the birds of the forest began their songs and melodies, inspiring my wife Lilliana and me to take a morning walk to enjoy and appreciate even more the natural charm of that gorgeous place.

Q5. That’s great. Before we end this interview, do you have any other message to the readers of SKinno News?

Historically, Costa Rica and Korea have shared the democratic values and principles of peace, freedom, and promotion and respect for Human Rights, which have been the basis of a very solid, deep, and dynamic bilateral relationship. During the year 2022, we will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the beginning of the diplomatic relations between Costa Rica and Korea. The 60^th anniversary of a person’s life, according to Korean folk culture and tradition, is valued as a milestone and celebrated, because it represents the end of a cycle and the beginning of a new one.

In this context, events like the “Great Melody in the Forest” contribute significantly to further strengthening these existing ties between our countries, by allowing us —the diplomatic community based in Korea— to get even closer to Korean culture and arts, and to connect with senior representatives of the co-sponsoring institutions, such as SK Innovation, building personal ties that strengthen existing relationships and could generate, in the near future, new areas of cooperation, exchange and investment between Costa Rica and Korea, particularly on the occasion of this new cycle that is being kicked off by the 60th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Costa Rica and Korea.

Given all this, I congratulate the leaders of SK Innovation for promoting and supporting cultural exchanges of this nature.

Likewise, I would also like to express my gratitude on behalf of the people and government of Costa Rica, to SK Innovation for all the displays of friendship and consideration that we received during the Great Melody in the Forest event.

Thank you for spending your precious time with us. We wish you all the best and hope this interview will reach many people around the world.