Outgoing Bulgarian Ambassador to Korea Kossio Kitipov said goodbye to not only his four-year posting here in Korea, but also to his 42-year career with his nation’s Foreign Service during an intimate farewell reception at the Seoul Millennium Hilton Hotel, Wednesday.

The 67-year-old career diplomat returns to his home country in November, but Kitipov vowed during a farewell speech to continue his close relationship with Korea as a private and active citizen, especially on the issue of re-unification.

“This is a striking injustice, especially in the 21st century,” Kitipov said about the national division of Korea. “I think that this is a task not only for the Korean people but for the whole of humanity as well.” 

“These four years I have constantly kept in my mind that only few kilometers from Seoul is the demilitarized zone that slashes this country like a knife,” he said.

Before his South Korea posting, Kitipov served as ambassador in Morocco, Romania and South Africa and more than four decades as a diplomat, being a witness to the historic transition of Bulgaria from communism to democracy, from membership in the Warsaw Pact to the European Union and NATO.

Kitipov said he oversaw a 100 percent increase in Korean-Bulgarian bilateral trade and several high level state visits, as well as four parliamentarian delegations. President Georgi Parvanov, who stepped down in January after 10 years in office, visited Korea in October 2009 and Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik visited Bulgaria last year.

Two-way trade was about $300 million concentrated on mainly automobiles and electronics from Korea and wheat and plastics from Bulgaria, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Bulgaria had diplomatic relations only with North Korea during the Cold War. The two countries re-established diplomatic relations after the Cold War on March 23, 1990.

“The Korean-Bulgarian relations are now in an ascending stage of development,” he said.

Kitipov attributed the success he achieved as Bulgaria’s chief representative to the many deep and personal relationships he forged.

Rep. Won Yoo-chul, chairman of the powerful Defense Committee, delivered key note remarks during the reception and, as proof of the bonds the two men shared, Kitipov gave him a warm Bulgarian-style bear hug after Won delivered his speech.

Won is also president of the Korea-Bulgaria Friendship Association at the National Assembly.

Kitipov characterized life as a Foreign Service Officer as “outlandish.”

“We resemble birds that flit from place to place and make temporarily nests,” he said. “When we go back to our countries we share our impressions from the countries in which we have been working.”

Kitipov loves hiking in the mountains around Seoul and often walks in Namsan, which has trails closest to the diplomatic district of Hannam-dong.

“I keep in my heart dozens of Koreans who I have met in the Korean mountains. They were asking kindly where my country Bulgaria is, and I was patiently explaining,” he said.

By Philip Iglauer (ephilip2011@heraldcorp.com)