“Bee diplomacy” promoting cultural exchange through ₩1,000 Slovenian breakfast
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- Writer 커뮤니케이션팀
- 보도일자 2024-11-22
Sookmyung Women’s University hosted a unique cultural exchange program on Fri, Nov. 22, offering students a chance to experience a traditional Slovenian breakfast while reflecting on the importance of environmental conservation, including climate change issues.
Sookmyung Student Support Center hosted the “₩1,000 Slovenian Breakfast” event in the Centennial Hall’s Han Sang-eun Lounge. This program, organized in collaboration with the Embassy of Slovenia in Korea, aimed to allow students to explore diverse cultures and expand their global perspectives.
Over 100 individuals attended, including Slovenian Ambassador Jernej Müller and Sookmyung President Moon Si-yeun as well as representatives from both institutions and students. The Leadership Group Interpretation Volunteers from the Student Support Center provided interpretation services for the entire event.
Sookmyung President Moon Si-yeun remarked, “Known as a hidden gem of Europe, Slovenia boasts a rich history and unique traditions influenced by various European cultures,” She added, “The blending of Slovenia’s traditional breakfast with our university’s ₩1,000 breakfast creates a special moment that harmoniously bridges global and local cultures.
Sookymung President Moon Si-yeun and Slovenian Ambassador Jernej Müller enjoy a casual conversation during the “₩1,000 Breakfast With Slovenia” event
The event showcased Slovenian culture through traditional dishes, such as kruh (bread), honey, butter, and apples, provided by the Embassy of Slovenia in Seoul. Participants also enjoyed a ₩6,000-worth menu comprising honey rice cakes, salad, spinach frittata, Greek yogurt, and coffee at the affordable cost of just ₩1,000. The meal was entirely funded by the ₩1,000 breakfast program, a collaborative effort involving the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs (MAFRA), the Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG), the local government of Yongsan-gu, and Sookmyung Women’s University.
“I’m a regular participant in the ₩1,000 breakfast program, but today’s event featuring Slovenian breakfast intrigued me,” shared Lee Na-ra (enrolled in 2021, culture and tourism major). “I was impressed by Slovenia’s deep commitment to beekeeping and honey production, as well as their eco-friendly urban initiatives,” she added.
Ambassador Jernej Müller of Slovenia to Korea
Ambassador Jernej Müller delivered a special lecture on Slovenia’s history and culture, highlighting the nation’s environmental efforts. Ambassador Jernej Müller stated, “As a small country in central Europe, Slovenia is dedicated to fostering a sustainable future through eco-friendly practices. Beyond honey production, we’ve come to recognize the critical role of bees in addressing environmental challenges and envisioning a sustainable future.”
In fact, the Embassy of Slovenia in Korea actively promotes this vision through its collaboration with Urban Bees Seoul, a social enterprise dedicated to urban beekeeping. Together, they maintain rooftop beehives at the embassy’s building in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, harvesting honey as part of their advocacy for beekeeping in cities. Globally recognized as a beekeeping powerhouse, Slovenia has four beekeepers for every 1,000 residents. Through the concept of “bee diplomacy,” the country actively promotes beekeeping worldwide as a means to combat climate change.
Urban Bees Seoul CEO Park Jin
The event also featured a lecture by Urban Bees Seoul CEO Park Jin titled, “The Importance of Urban Beekeeping and Bees.” Urban Bees Seoul CEO Park Jin explained, “Some may think beekeeping is completely irrelevant to their lives, but without bees, about 70% of the food we consume would vanish. Research even suggests that the absence of bees could lead to starvation for approximately 1.4 million people, underscoring how inseparable bees are from our food supply.”
Park Seon-yeong (enrolled in 2020, consumer economics major) expressed, “This lecture helped me understand the crucial role bees play in our ecosystem and global environment. It’s made me more conscious of climate issues and the need for action.”
This event marked the third installment of Sookmyung Student Support Center’s “Fall Cultural Travel Series with the President.” Sookmyung Women’s University remains committed to fostering global citizenship among students through diverse cultural exchange initiatives.
