British Ambassador to Korea Colin Crooks gives a tour of his residence to Korean media ahead of Jeongdong Culture Night, Friday. Yonhap

By Kwon Mee-yoo

Jeong-dong area is known as a diplomatic center in Korea's early modern history and is still home to several embassies in Seoul.

As Jeongdong Culture Night, a festival celebrating the history and culture of the neighborhood in the heart of Seoul, returned from a two-year hiatus last Friday and Saturday, four embassies took part in the festivities.

Nestled behind the Seoul Anglican Cathedral near Deoksu Palace, the old U.K. ambassador's residence is a Victorian-style architectural gem and is the only authentic building remaining in the area.

The former legation building is now used as the ambassador's residence. British Ambassador Colin Crooks offered a tour of the compound, from Aston Hall to Broughton's Bar.

"We took part in this event because we want to take a step closer to the people of Seoul," Crooks said.

Rouslan Kats, political, economic & public affairs counsellor of the Canadian Embassy, said the embassy has been participating in the Jeongdong Culture Night festival since 2015.

"We moved to Jeong-dong in November 2007. We are very lucky to be located in this beautiful neighborhood," Kats said.

"Located in this historic area of Seoul, the embassy reflects many values that Canadians and Koreans share, including a passion for the environment, an appreciation of the unique culture found in both countries and a commitment to protect and promote our cultural heritage."

The Canadian Embassy in Seoul re-created the iconic red door from the Korean drama "Goblin" in front of the embassy building as part of Jeongdong Culture Night, Friday. Courtesy of Canadian Embassy in Korea

This year, the Canadian Embassy re-created the famous red door from the Korean drama "Goblin: The Lonely and Great God," which was used as a passage for instant travel to Canada, in front of the embassy building. It also offered a tour inside the embassy explaining the history of Korea-Canada relations.

"By participating in the festival, we wish to tell Koreans how much we Canadians value our relationship with Korea. We have so many stories to share and so much to learn from each other. We also believe it is a great opportunity to increase awareness of the cultural importance of this historic neighborhood among Koreans," Kats said.

The Embassy of New Zealand offered during a wine tasting event in front of the Seoul Museum of Art, Friday.

"We are delighted to be part of the Jeong-dong community. Our embassy is just over there. So we wanted to contribute to the Jeongdong Culture Night in some way and we thought the best thing we could do was to share some of the fantastic food and drink that is made in natural, sustainable New Zealand," New Zealand Ambassador to Korea Philip Turner said.

"Korean people appreciate more and more natural, high-quality and sustainable food and drink from New Zealand. Helped by COVID, New Zealand wine last year was the fastest-growing imported wine in Korea."

The embassy brought four varieties of Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir from New Zealand ― Villa Maria, Leftfield, Greywacke and Burn Cottage.

The U.S. Embassy hosted a photo exhibition in commemoration of the 140th anniversary of Korea-U.S. relations in front of Habib House, the residence of the U.S. ambassador.

Named after former Ambassador Philip Habib, Habib House is a hanok (traditional Korean house) built in the 1970s, and an icon of bilateral relations between Korea and the U.S.

The photo exhibit featured photos of the American Legation in Korea, built in the 1880s as the first foreign legation during the Joseon Kingdom, as well as the interior of Habib House.