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In a series uncovering the forgotten, secret chapters of diplomatic history, Kim Jiyoung, the South Korean guest researcher at the Institute for the Research of Communism, explained that in the second half of the 1980s, among Eastern Bloc countries, Hungary had the best reputation in South Korea. Although official diplomatic relations between the two countries—each belonging to opposing political blocs—were only established in 1989, the path leading there was long, involving, among other things, a visit to Seoul by a delegation of Hungarian journalists and the 1988 Seoul Olympics. According to István Szerdahelyi, Hungary’s current ambassador to Seoul, the relief in relations between the two states had already begun in 1956, when the Hungarian nation bravely stood up for its own fate and freedom. Kim Bogook, director of the East Asian Research Institute at the Hungarian National Archives, noted that Pyongyang viewed the growing closeness between South Korea and Hungary with disapproval. A key moment in this accession was the mutual exchange of guest students in 1989–90. One former student—now the Korean translator of Imre Kertész—recalled that he would never forget the Hungarian people’s hospitality.

Kim Jiyoung, guest researcher at the Institute for the Research of Communism and professor of history at Soongsil University in Seoul, stated that in the second half of the 1980s, Hungary had a better reputation in South Korea than any other communist country. It was only a matter of time for official relations to be established. Contributing to this was the fact that Budapest had already granted permission in 1985 for a group of Hungarian journalists to visit the Asian country. According to the professor these journalists introduced Hungarian readers to the Western, democratic, and economically advanced country they had come to know during their trip.  Beyond that visit, another major step toward the establishment of diplomatic ties was Hungary’s announcement—first among the Eastern Bloc countries—of its intention to participate in the 1988 Summer Olympic Games in Seoul. This allowed a large Hungarian delegation to get to know South Korea, the historian emphasized. Kim Jiyoung underlined that after the boycotted Olympics of Moscow in 1980 and Los Angeles in 1984, the Seoul Games brought together athletes from both camps—and through them, the opposing world powers themselves.

The professor added that Hungary’s actions had an encouraging effect on the leadership of other communist countries as well—Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Poland, Romania, and East Germany all sent delegations to the Summer Olympics, following the Hungarian example.

István Szerdahelyi, Hungary’s ambassador to Seoul, highlighted that it was no coincidence that the South Korean leadership sought ties with Budapest. Hungary was considered the so called "cheeriest barrack" in the socialist camp, and it was assumed that communication with Hungarian leaders would be easier than with those of other communist countries. Naturally, the ambassador added, the 1956 revolution and freedom fight played a major role in the softening of relations, as it revealed the Hungarian people's longing for freedom, their determination, and their extraordinary courage. According to Szerdahelyi, the 1988 Seoul Olympics also put the South Korean economic miracle to the spotlight, that has become reality only within a few decades. He believes that economic factors also played a key role in the settlement between the two countries—for example, the world-renowned company Samsung invested in Hungary as early as 1990.

Commenting on Pyongyang’s reaction to the growing ties between the two countries, Kim Bogook—director of the East Asian Research Institute at the Hungarian National Archives and research professor at Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul—said that official relations between Budapest and Pyongyang were established in the second half of the 1950s. However, the increasingly close cooperation between Seoul and Budapest in 1988 brought those ties to an end, ultimately leading to the closure of the Hungarian embassy in Pyongyang. North Korea viewed Hungary’s reconcilement with the South as an extremely unfriendly move.

One living witness to the rapprochement is Han Kyung-Min, a former South Korean student who came to Hungary as part of an agreement between the two countries. He arrived in Hungary in September 1989 and recalls that at the time, only a few dozen Koreans lived there, most of them involved in business. The steadily improving relations were clearly reflected in the fact that just a year later, around two hundred South Korean students came to study in Budapest, Han Kyung-Min noted. Since then, he has translated seventeen Hungarian books into Korean—including works by Imre Kertész. The scholar and teacher still recalls the hospitality of the Hungarian people with deep gratitude.