Jinseok Seo, A Bridge Between Korea and the Baltic States

Have you ever heard about the Baltic states? The Baltic states are three northern European countries east of the Baltic Sea – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Lots of Koreans have little knowledge about them. When I decided to study in Lithuania, my friends asked me where in the world it was! When I arrived in Lithuania for the first time, I felt the severe cold of the weather. But I had expected this beforehand. I have been here for about two months now, and my opinion has changed. The Baltic states are a very calm, relaxed, and beautiful part of the world.

I am studying at the Vytautas Magnus University located in Kaunas, the second most prominent city in Lithuania. At my university, there is a major that deals with Asian culture. Seo Jin-seok formerly taught and researched Asian culture at the university. Now, he runs an internet cafe which provides information about the Baltic states. In addition, he was a foreign correspondent for Ohmynews, a Korean freelance news website, who introduced eastern European issues. Luckily, I was able to get in contact with him and had a chance to interview him.

Jeong: What made you develop an interest in the Baltic states?

Seo: Since childhood, I have wanted to study special and exotic things, so I decided to major in Polish at my university. When I entered university in 1991, lots of countries (including the Baltic states) had just become independent, and Lithuania especially was mentioned many times in class because it has many close ties with Poland. This is when I started to develop an interest in Lithuania.

Jeong: Lots of Koreans do not know much about the Baltic states. Please, introduce the Baltic states as an expert.

Seo: Oh, it’s too broad. It’s so complex that it cannot be judged by just one standard. Even though these countries are small, a lot of cultures and language groups are mixed. To understand them, you have to know about overall Europe. Studying the Baltic nations is like peeling an onion; new layers are discovered every day.

Jeong: I have heard that you are doing lots of things like writing books examining the Baltic states, teaching Korean, and running the Internet cafe in which to share information about these countries. What is the motive that makes you do these things?

Seo: In Korea, there are few people who have traveled to this part of the world. It was really hard not only to get information but also to share the story of these countries. So, I started to upload some information in the Internet cafe that I own. When I began to develop an interest in the Baltic states, there were few experts about it. I thought Korea needed more information about them in the future, so I decided to become one of those experts.

Jeong: What do people of the Baltic states think about Korea?

Seo: When I came here the first time, they had little knowledge about Korea. When I said that Korea has snow, they didn’t believe me. Some people believed that Korea is in southeast Asia. Nowadays, lots of people here have a good impression of Korea because of dramas and K-POP. Additionally, Korea is regarded as a developed country because of Samsung, LG, and KIA.

Jeong: Have there been any amusing incidences during your stay here?

Seo: When western people see Asians, they usually ask, “Are you Chinese, Japanese or Korean?” However, when I came here in 1991, they asked me, “Are you Uzbekistani or Kazakhstani?” because they had just become independent from the former Soviet Union. Maybe they asked me that because I look Uzbek or Kazakhstani. Another time, I tried to call to South Korea, but the Lithuanian telephone company connected me with North Korea.

Jeong: What are the attractions of the Baltic states and which places do you want to recommend to people who want to travel to Lithuania?

Seo: The Baltic states are really great to visit because the prices are cheap and transportation between countries is very convenient. Lots of people think there are lots of beautiful women here. That’s true! It’s really hard to choose just one place because there are lots of beautiful places. It’s really good to travel to big cities like Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania; Riga, the capital of Latvia; and Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. The wetlands in Estonia and Latvia and the islands of Estonia are very beautiful as well.

Jeong: What are your goals in the future?

Seo: I have a lot of goals, especially writing novels or essays. I’d like to study the shamanism of Korea and Europe. Also, I’d like to write books examining the Baltic states.