 | |
/courtesy of Dagbladet of Norway (http://www.dagbladet.no/)
|
 |
|
"I want to be a bridge that connects Norway and Korea."
When Norway's Crown Prince Haakon Magnus and Crown Princess Mette-Marit recently visited Korea, there was a Korean among their entourage. Known as "Nudel-Lee", Lee Chul-ho is easily the most well known Korean in the Scandinavian country.
Lee introduced ramen noodles to Norway in the late 1980s, and since then his self-named Mr. Lee Ramen has secured 80 percent of the Norwegian ramen market. In elementary and high school textbooks in Norway, he is featured as a model case of a successful immigrant.
Lee says he has vivid memories of Busan, where he stayed for three months before heading to Norway in March 1954. He was then being treated for wounds to his right leg in a field hospital in today's Seomyeon in Busan, and it was from the U.S. Army airstrip there that he went to Norway. Aged only 17, he had sustained serious shrapnel injuries to his leg in the Korean War and was sent to Norway for treatment. After dozens of operations, he was able to walk again, and professionally he also found his feet. Struggling with the language and other difficulties, he finally made a success of his ramen business.
Lee hopes to build a "Little Norway¡± in Busan and Incheon, to serve as a launch pad for cultural and economic cooperation between Norway and Korea. It will be place where Norwegians do business and show their cultural traditions. Last month, Lee met with Norwegian fishery industry representatives and Incheon city officials to discuss the development of the town.
"Norway is the world's second largest marine products exporter. Aiming at the Northeast Asia market, Norwegian fishing businesses had wanted to set up in China, but I persuaded them to do business in Korea and brought them to Busan and Incheon,¡± Lee said. ¡°They were surprised by the huge port facilities when they visited. I¡¯m suggesting that Norwegian marine enterprises targeting the Japanese operate in Busan and those targeting the Chinese market in Incheon."
He said economic exchanges will serve as a strong link between Norway and Korea. Since January, he has been selling Mr.Lee Ramen in Korean convenience stores. Now he plans to export them to Japan. ¡°Many Norwegians confuse South Korea with North Korea. I want to spend the rest of my life building a Korea Town in Norway to promote mutual understanding between the two nations."
(englishnews@chosun.com )
|
