SEOUL, KOREA — Committed to seeking a world free of nuclear disaster, the recently wrapped-up Seoul Nuclear Security Summit has taken one step toward strengthening nuclear security with the substantive progress being made on political commitments. While the highest-level forum served a platform to reaffirm world leaders’ shared goals of nuclear disarmament, nonproliferation, and peaceful uses of nuclear energy, the summit offered a glimpse into the essence of Korean culture and relevant policies as well.
On March 27 the NSS’s International Media Center, Minister Choe Kwang-shik of Culture, Sports and Tourism gave a briefing to the international press on Korea’s policies under his jurisdiction with a focus on international cooperation and cultural exchange. Minister Choe provided a shortcut view of Korea’s key cultural policies and preparation blueprints for the upcoming international events hosted by Korea, including the Expo 2012 Yeosu and the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games.
The Culture Minister remarked that the government has spared no effort in leading the development of Korean culture through recreating the traditional values with a modern touch, while emphasizing the essential role of the traditional culture and its contemporary reinterpretations. In this regard, the ministry announced the “Creative Strategy for Developing Traditional Culture” this January, in an attempt to facilitate the revival and modern adaptation of the traditional spirit.
According to the minister, the culture ministry also aims to strengthen the global network of its Korean Cultural Center’s service. Following the opening of the Budapest center in February and the Mexican branch in March, four additional branches will be built by end of this year. Once completed, residents of 28 cities in 24 nations will be connected with Korea, alongside a prospective plan for converting its New York and Paris centers into multifaceted Korean Cultural Centers in the near future.
Noting Korea’s transformation from aid beneficiary to donor over the past half century, Minister Choe conveyed the nation’s willingness to contribute further to the international community by diversifying the scope of cultural exchanges with developing and least developed countries (LDCs). “Korea seeks to promote interactive cultural exchange through supporting projects like the Youth Cultural Volunteers program as a partner for shared growth in culture,” said the culture minister. “We will continue to assist developing countries and LDCs in their own cultural industry development and integrated growth via UNESCO.”
In recent years, Korea has steadily strengthened international cooperation with UNESCO through varied channels. Following the successful co-hosting of the 2010 World Conference on Arts in Seoul, last November the Korean government played a leading role in the unanimous adoption of the Seoul Agenda: Goals for the Development of Arts Education. Within the framework of the Seoul Agenda, UNESCO proclaimed every fourth week of May as the International Week of Arts Education at the 36th UNESCO General Conference and urged member states to assure arts education activities of high standards in both conception and delivery.
While presenting a number of international events taking place in Korea in the upcoming years, the Culture Minister called upon journalists to support Expo 2012 Yeosu, slated this year from May 12 to August 12, among others. The 93-day expo held under the slogan “The Living Ocean and Coast” sheds light on resolving challenges the ocean faces and strives to seek solutions for climate change and other serious environmental issues affecting all mankind.
Moreover, the culture minister took the time to introduce a series of cultural events prepared on the margins of the summit. The programs designed for the occasion included royal palaces tours like the Changdeokgung Moonlight Tour and the Feast in Gyeonghoeru, alongside templestay programs, traditional musical performances at the National Gugak Center, and an exhibit featuring works by Korean and Japanese contemporary artists at the COEX Media Center.
“The Korean wave refers to the phenomenon of Korean popular culture including music and dramas rolling over the globe, gaining a growing recognition with audiences overseas,” Minister Choe told reporters when asked to define what the Korean wave is. “I consider Hallyu as a synonym to a universal language representing Korea.”
The minister put a particular emphasis on mutual cultural exchanges rather than one-way communication. “Korean culture itself renders a hybrid character as a result of centuries of integration of a diverse set of societies, cultures, belief, and religions. In this context, the surge of the Korean wave as an emerging center for the production of transnational pop culture may be attributed to its cultural affinity, diversity, and universality, allowing its transmission to remote corners of the world.”
He declared his hope that more people appreciate Korea’s cultural heritage. “We continuously seek ways to encourage the diversity of the Korean wave beyond pop culture into the larger arena of Korean culture,” he said, “including traditional culture, fine arts, fashion, and food.”
The culture ministry’s session was held as part of a series of key policy briefings dedicated to presenting the ROK’s stance on major issues of global concern, including green growth and inter-Korean relations, to help raise foreign reporters’ awareness on the policies with a balanced perspective. Speakers of other sessions included Chairpoerson Lee Bae-yong of the Presidential Council on Nation Branding and Unification Minister Yu Woo-ik.
*Article from Korea magazine
