Doria Igiraneza

PassportTripSeoul, South KoreaMay–June 2024

Seoul, and a museum about taxes (yes, really)

Two weeks in South Korea for a tax policy and administration workshop, including a national museum dedicated to the history of tax.

Outside the National Tax Museum. Of course I went.
Outside the National Tax Museum. Of course I went.

From 28 May to 9 June 2024 I was in South Korea for the second Working-Level Invitational Workshop on Tax Policy and Tax Administration Reform Consulting in Rwanda, organised by the Korea Institute of Public Finance (KIPF) and KOICA.

The sessions were about how tax policy supports sustainable development and what fair, effective tax administration looks like in practice. The visits were the part I keep retelling. There is a National Tax Museum that traces taxation in Korea back through its earliest dynasties, and I can confirm it is more interesting than it sounds.

What stayed with me most was the bigger story: a country that went from receiving aid to giving it within living memory. Seeing that up close, and getting a taste of Korean culture between sessions, made the trip feel much longer than two weeks, in the best way.

On the recordRead the professional side
Receiving my certificate at the workshop's close.
Receiving my certificate at the workshop's close.
Seoul does glass towers and greenery at the same time.
Seoul does glass towers and greenery at the same time.
A quieter corner, with hills that look painted on.
A quieter corner, with hills that look painted on.
Interactive exhibits that make history feel like a game.
Interactive exhibits that make history feel like a game.
Certificate of completion, Korea Institute of Public Finance and KOICA.
Certificate of completion, Korea Institute of Public Finance and KOICA.