On October 27th 2010, seventeen foreigners were awarded the Seoul honorary citizenship certificate at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Gwanghwamun.
These citizen are coming from 13 countries, including: Austria, France, Germany, India, US, Japon, Italy, Nepal, Russia.
The program Seoul honrray citizenship was initiated in 1958 and the total number of Seoul’s honorary citizens to date is 649.
Honorary citizenship is given to international residents who have resided in Seoul for more than three consecutive years or five cumulative years, in recognition of their contributions to the city and the local community, including being a role model to Seoul citizens as well as other foreign residents, according to the Seoul city government
And the 2010 winners are:
- Pankaj Mohan is a historian from India.
- Peter Bartholomew, vice president of the consulting company IRC (and also a French cruisader in the XIth Century).
- Raimund Royer of Jaseng Hospital of Oriental Medicine is the first expatriate Oriental doctor in Korea.
- Didier Beltoise (bravo Didier ! No, Frenchies are NOT chauvinistic), general manager of the Grand InterContinental and COEX InterContinental Seoul.
- Kiyoshi Fujita of Chiben Gakuen, a private academic institution.
- Hans-Alexander Kneider, professor at Hankuk University for Foreign Studies.
- Italian chef Paolo De Maria,
- Consultant Marcus von Engel of Accenture and also President of the famous Korean wine club In Vino Veritas (http://www.invinoveritas.co.kr/)
- Engineer Tenzi Sherpa of Nepal and
- Vitaly Nikitich Ignatenko of Russian news agency Itar-Tass.
Plus some others ...
According to the Notice of Recommendation for Honorary Citizenship of Seoul, the benefits for those honorary citizens are the following:
- Conferred the medal, certificate and card of Honorary Citizenship of Seoul.
- Appointed as member of various committees of the city government or invited to official events.
- Exempt from paying admission fees at Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul Museum of History, Seoul Grand Park and Children's Park.
Well ... Sic Transit Gloria Mundi
