Following an illustrious tradition
When Yu Woo-ik was sent to China as the Republic of Korea's (ROK) top envoy last month, he was only carrying on the tradition set by his illustrious forefather in the 16th century.
Indeed, Yu's ancestor, the then Korean prime minister, Yu Seong-ryong, brokered a Korea-China alliance against invading Japanese troops a little over four centuries ago.
Yet, unlike his famed forebear, the 60-year-old Yu is not a China hand.
The former Seoul National University professor has spent more time in the United States and France as a scholar.
"I don't know the (Chinese) people and China very well," Yu said.
Born into a "conservative" family, however, Yu has been greatly influenced by Chinese culture.
"When I was a child, my grandfather taught me Chinese classics such as The Analects of Confucius and The Works of Mencius," he said.
Yu's favorite is The Romance of Three Kingdoms, which depicts the turbulent period during the late Han and the Three Kingdoms periods.
His favorite characters from the novel are Liu Bei, an emperor, and Zhuge Liang, Liu's top advisor, who is regarded as China's greatest and most accomplished strategist.
"Liu is a good leader and Zhuge, a great thinker. They were very well versed in realpolitik," he said.
Asked whether he likened that relationship to that between ROK President Lee Myung-bak and himself, Yu said: "I don't think I'm as good as Zhuge Liang."
In fact, Zhuge Liang's name has become synonymous with "wisdom" in Chinese culture.
Analysts have said that Yu - the former presidential chief of staff - is indeed the top advisor to Lee. Yu is believed to be Lee's speechwriter, and has worked with the ROK head for a decade.
The ambassador, an avid photographer, loves to travel - a passion that developed when he was a professor of geography.
The first place Yu wants to see in China is Sichuan, not because the province is famous for its spicy cuisine.
Instead, he wants to witness first-hand how the victims of a magnitude-8.0 earthquake, which killed nearly 90,000 people in May 2008, are recovering from the catastrophe.
"When I left (for Beijing), President Lee Myung-bak asked me to go to Sichuan, which he had visited soon after the quake," Yu said. "I'd like to offer some assistance to people there."
(China Daily 01/12/2010 page11)
