Consulate of Canada (Virtual)

Counselor Riley at the Canadian Embassy 🇨🇦
Location: Online

Back in November, our school, Seoul International School (SIS), hosted its first Terry Fox Run, an annual charity event held worldwide to raise money for cancer research in memory of Terry Fox. Terry was a Canadian athlete and cancer research activist who embarked on a cross-country run with a prosthetic leg. For our event, Counselor Riley visited to give a speech on the importance of Terry’s legacy and her delight in our school joining in on this movement. So, we were fortunate enough to be able to get connected back with Counselor Riley and arrange an online interview.

My interview with Counselor Riley first covered how the SIS spearheaded the Terry Fox Run and the embassy’s involvement with it and other cultural activities in South Korea.

Counselor Riley’s responsibilities include informing educational institutions about the embassy’s support for events like the Terry Fox Run and facilitating liaisons with Korean authorities, such as the immigration service. This task is part of a diverse outreach that spans various sectors, including trade, cultural exchanges, and more.

Trade between the two nations includes exports and imports like beef, cars, and cultural products. Additionally, despite the modest number of Canadians residing in Korea, many Canadians move to Korea because of the professional opportunities offered and their shared appreciation for Korea’s democracy and the outdoors. In fact, when Counselor Riley heard she was going to work in South Korea, she told me about how excited she was to finally experience the culture that invented Kpop, Kimchi, and other great cultural goods and foods. She also mentioned how unlike her childhood in Canada where she experienced racism and open mistreatment because of her race, in Korea, she has not had to be worried about discrimination.

Her advice to aspiring diplomats is to be open to varied roles and challenges, including those outside one’s job description.

At the end of our interview, I was lucky enough to be invited to the embassy itself. We thank Counselor Riley for the interview and we look forward to visiting on May 1st!