REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, WANGIWANGI -- Governor of Jeju, South Korea, Wong Hee-ryong lauded the hospitality of Southeast Sulawesi's Wakatobi community in welcoming and serving the participants of the United Cities and Local Governments Asia-Pacific (UCLG-ASPAC) Conference being held in Wakatobi.
"All my life, this is the time for me to see and experience the hospitality shown by the locals while serving and treating the guests," he stated here, Tuesday.
Hee-ryong noted that he will receive an award from the Wakatobi community in the form of an honorary title from Sultan Buton called "La Ode," a biography of him that will not be forgotten.
Hee-ryong affirmed that he would now be able to tell his children that their grandparent had received a peerage in Wakatobi, which is a region of the Sultanate of Buton.
"The award, as a nobleman of the Sultanate of Buton from the Wakatobi community, will be the most precious one in the collection of all the awards I have ever received," Hee-ryong, who is also the president of UCLG-ASPAC, remarked.
Besides lauding the hospitality of the Wakatobi community, Hee-ryong also praised the cleanliness of Wakatobi's coastal and marine waters.
The clear sea waters, the white sand, and the deep blue sea would be a tremendous attraction for the tourists, he remarked.
"I will tell the Koreans, especially the people of Jeju, that Wakatobi is an exciting vacation spot," Hee-ryong added.