Diplomatic elegance

Moshav Rishpon, just north of Herzliya Pituah, is a pretty village, its country lanes blooming with flowers and greenery. Among the many small cottages and modest houses, one can also see the occasional warehouse, selling everything from imported furniture to car accessories. It's hardly the place one would expect to find a home as magnificent as the one used by the Republic of Korea as its official residence.

A recent visit began on the patio of the beautiful garden, where the ambassador's wife, Jaesoon Kang, explained how this place was chosen when the fifth residential Korean ambassador took up the post.

"Most of the residences are in Herzliya Pituah, and this is basically the same area," explained Madame Kang, who is an artist in her own right as well as the wife of ambassador Kyungtark Park. "I like the area very much – the houses are not too close together, so we have more space and privacy – and security is good."

She admits that her perceptions of Israel have changed since she arrived here one year and three months ago, for what is her husband's first ambassadorial posting.

"Since I've been here, I realize the country is peaceful," she said. "I speak to my friends back home – I have a huge phone bill – and tell them how beautiful it is here, and how perfect the weather is and they don't believe me because on television, they only see the bad news."

While we talk, a staff member brings plates of fruit and cookies – garnished with white blossoms. Pots of geraniums in every corner create a riot of color. The pool, separated from the patio by wrought iron railings, glints in the sunlight, and an olive tree reputed to be a thousand years old, spreads its branches.

THE MANSION, built 10 years ago by an Israeli with Sephardi roots, is clearly Eastern in its inspiration. In the enormous entrance hall, massive pillars and vaulted arches appear to hold up the ceiling. A wrought-iron railing, which goes around the entire room, has a design that suggests Stars of David. Panels of hand-painted green tiles create images of olive trees.

The dining room, which is the first room to the left upon entering the grand hall, has a stunning and very unusual design. The ceiling has been painted to represent a trompe l'oeil Beduin tent; regal drapes continue the illusion. On one wall, there is a scene of old Jaffa.

Madame Kang has taken the trouble of laying the table for a formal dinner. The Korean-made gold-rimmed china is exquisite. The flower decorations, which she did herself, consist of clusters of geraniums in brandy bowls.

"They all come from the garden," she says. "When I arrived, I saw there were no geraniums and I immediately planted all the pots you see around. If I start to work in the garden, I can't stop."

On the other side of the hall is the family room, with a fireplace and an archway dividing the room in two. This room is also pressed into service on October 3, Korean National Day, when the many Koreans living here are invited, together with other diplomats and visitors.

We go up the wide, rust-carpeted staircase to the second floor, where there are exercise machines at the top of the gallery. Anyone using the treadmill or bicycle has a view from the window of the surrounding countryside.

The bedrooms have all been decorated in pink or blue chintz and have a strong English country house flavor. One of the rooms has been set aside for Madame Kang to use as a studio. An accomplished painter, she has had many exhibitions in Seoul and the US, and hopes to have one here in Israel. She has been quite prolific since arriving here, producing many of the paintings that adorn the walls of the residence. Inspired by the Western Wall, she has begun to create works of textured stone, which is a departure for her.

We take our leave of the residence, a cool oasis of tranquility and splendor, and step outside into the raging summer heat and back into the real world.

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