Seungcheol Lim, departing South Korean Consul General in the Kurdistan Region, highly praised the resilience, hospitality, and societal values of the Kurdish people, highlighting the picnic culture, traditional dancing, and cuisine, particularly dolma, as symbols of an identity that has thrived for thousands of years. 

Lim spoke to Channel8 during a farewell ceremony held on Monday, which was attended by Kurdistan Regional Government officials, university presidents, civil society representatives, and party leaders. 

He officially concluded his diplomatic mission in the Kurdistan Region on May 11. 

Lim Praises Kurdistan's Hospitality, Resilience, and Cultural Values

Reflecting on his tenure, he noted that he "found very good things in the Kurdistan Region. Hospitality, resilience, patriotism, smartness, harmonized diversity, respect, dignity.”

Expressing his love for the land and people and culture, he said in Kurdish, "Kurdistan is in my heart, forever.” 

He stressed that the Kurdish society has “a lot of good things that should be preserved well for the world, for humankind."

Consul General Applauds Kurdish Picnic Spirit and Cuisine

Lim shared his fondness for traditional Kurdish cuisine, expressing a preference for onion dolma, kifta, kubba, biryani, and qozi among his favorite dishes. 

The consul general also commended the picnic culture as an important part of the Kurdish lifestyle: "Even though times are very tough, if there is sunshine and the weather is good, every Kurdish person goes to a picnic."

"They enjoy the Dolma, and they enjoy the dancing. So it makes Kurdish people survive for several thousand years with their identification, with their identity,” he emphasized.

Lim also mentioned that “Korean people should learn these things.”