President Mohamed Nasheed has appointed 64 year-old Korean pop singer Yoon Hyung-ju as honorary consul of the Maldives in Korea.
A report in Korea’s Chosun Ilbo newspaper, one of the country’s largest publications with a circulation of 2.2 million, claimed that Nasheed had offered the position to Hyung-ju when the singer visited the country at the government’s invitation from February 21-23.
The President’s Press Secretary Mohamed Zuhair confirmed to Minivan News that Hyung-ju had been offered the position, “although the paperwork has not been completed yet.”
Hyung-ju, who is currently writing a song called ‘Save the Maldives’ for distribution across Asia and other parts of the world, told Chosun Ilbo that he wanted to let people in Korea know about the environmental challenges faced by the Maldives.
“I’ve long wanted to be a diplomat, and the dream came true at a late age,” Hyung-ju said.
“The reason I quit medical school when I was young wasn’t that I wanted to focus on my singing career but because I wanted to have a free-spirited life, travelling around the world.”
Hyung-ju said he had been introduced to the Maldivian Foreign Affairs officials when the diplomats visited Korea last year. It was these officials who had urged the President to make Hyung-ju an honorary consul, he claimed.
“Many people know the Maldives only as a tourist destination, but it is suffering from a number of difficulties. I will devote my remaining life to be of help to them,” the singer said.
Zuhair said that having a popular figure in Korea as honorary consul could “highlight Maldivian values and culture for would-be visitors.”
The job, he said, was unpaid and did not come with a diplomatic passport, although it “would include some privileges.”
South Korea is a major Asian tourism market for the Maldives, along with Japan and more recently, China. Minivan News understands that the Maldives is currently assessing whether to participate in this year’s World Expo, to be held in Korea.
President Nasheed’s previous appointees to the post of honorary consul include David Hardingham, founder of UK-based NGO Friends of Maldives.
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I wish it was Maldivian singer Ali Rameez that the President appointed.
After a few days we may find this headline:
"President appoints a porn star honorary consul of Maldives in Denmark"
I don't think this has been done before by any other country, as long as you don't have to play the fellow a hefty sum.
I think its better if Anni to be employed at tourism promotion Board.
Isn't this honorary consulate appointment kind of lousy and irresponsible? You can't just make people as diplomats just because he is a famous singer. Thats very kiddy.
great.... maldivians are still suffering from all the harm of the dictatorial repression that prevailed in the Maldives. we need these stories to be told to the world and ourselves so we may overcome it...
We have businessmen in Maldives as honorary Consuls of NZ, Germany, Australia etc. So they are not diplomats. It is done all over the world. They get little if nothing and it is more the prestige of the position in return for promoting Maldives and providing relevant information to those who need it and assisting with immigration issues for those who want to travel here and providing other forms of assistance to Maldives in terms of contacts etc etc...No big deal really but not a bad thing
It is a good thing that tourist business can flourish in Hulhumale'. I have not seen alcohol being drunk there. I am regular on this beach. I think the solution is not separation but the hotels to brief tourist on the basic attire (T-shirts and shorts) in respect of the Maldivian culture.
The sad thing is though, more and more Maldivian women are fully clad in black and sits sadly on the beach while the children and their husbands enjoy the sea. This is bad and indicates how suppressed the women are. For Adalath this is right... The women are kept under the thumb..
The next thing is how the Maldivians dirty the beaches and throws their weekend garbage everywhere. It is in religion to respect nature and take from it carefully and cautiously.
Today Maldivians are confused and fearful cos Adalath has done all it can to instill fear in people so they can control.
sorry...the above comment is for the article on Adhaalath claims tourist... Please read in that context.. Thanks
Good move President Nasheed! Well done!
Excellent choice and great PR value in Korea for the Maldives. We need a recognizable face to represent the country when we appoint Honorary Consuls in foreign countries.
As usual your foresight and moves are way ahead of the rest of the pack. Your enemies and rivals can never fathom your thoughts!
"President appoints Korean pop singer honorary consul of Maldives in Korea"
Why a Korean?
Do we have a shortage of Maldivian pop singers?
@ Ilyas Ahmed
"Your enemies and rivals can never fathom your thoughts!"
Who can? I mean fathom someone else's thoughts?
You surely cannot be forgetting that his enemies and rivals are only human. Are you?
Maldives and Korea hold diplomatic talks.......IN SONG!
@ Rolex 10:06
"Why a Korean? Do we have a shortage of Maldivian pop singers?"
Do you have the slightest clue on how "Honorary Consuls" are appointed or on what basis?
I guess you need to do some home work before shooting off such a stupid remark! Let me educate you a little bit on this.
An Honorary Consul is a non-govt employee awarded status by the visiting
Nation. Typically, it's a businessman or prominent person living in the host country already. The visiting power [Maldives] awards him consular
status to represent the country the same as a professional officer (in this case in Korea.)
Some of you guys are under the false impression that somehow President Nasheed has appointed an Ambassador or a High Commissioner in Korea. There is a vast difference between Honorary Consuls and Ambassadors/High Commissioners. Shooting off your mouths without knowing these basics only expose your ignorance.
@ Rolex 10:10 A.M
Normally I don't respond to such stupid comments. But this time I will make an exception since you really need some basic education.
My sentence (in my earlier comment) "Your enemies and rivals can never fathom your thoughts" is to illustrate the fact that President Nasheed is a far-sighted and smart politician who is capable to think out of the box in order to advance the interests of our Nation.
His enemies and rivals are people whose mind set is so fixed that they cannot think in the creative manner as President Nasheed does. By appointing a well known pop singer in Korea as our Honorary Consul instead of a Korean Businessman or such, our President has again done something superb to increase the popularity of Maldives in Korea by having a well known pop singer to represent Maldives. Do you get it now?
@ Ilyas Ahmed
"Normally I don’t respond to such stupid comments. But this time I will make an exception since you really need some basic education."
Thanks a lot.
Much appreciated.
But I was only teasing.
So I wish you were a little less agressive in commenting.
Good to see that there are a few Maldivians who are interested in educating others. The biggest problem lies in the fact that people tend to think they are the only ones who know it all.
@ Rolex 1.24 PM
Apologies. No offense intended. sarcasm is my blood! That's all. cheers!
Thank you very much Ilyas Ahmed!!!
Why are people just soooo ignorant?
Nothing surprises me in the banana republic of Maldives. What's next.....Pamela Anderson as Minister of Tourism?