By Shim Sun-ah
SEOUL, May 23 (Yonhap) — The government on Thursday announced a new strategic approach to elevate South Korea’s global cultural presence and capitalize on the growing global interest in Korean culture, known as “hallyu.”
Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Yu In-chon outlined the policy centered on integrating various government programs to foster international cultural exchanges and promote Korean culture globally, during a press briefing in Seoul.
“With the high global interest in Korean culture, it’s crucial that we let the world know of our culture’s charms by fully supporting its worldwide spread,” Yu said. “Based on this strategy, the ministry will take the lead in making South Korea a global cultural leader by systematically organizing and expanding existing policies and leading collaboration with various other institutions.”
Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Yu In-chon speaks during a press briefing to announce his ministry’s new strategic approach to elevate South Korea’s global cultural presence. (Yonhap)
Earlier this year, the ministry launched an office in charge of promoting Korea overseas after closing down the Korean Culture and Information Service that had served the same function for more than 50 years as part of a restructuring plan.
The new office will lead the ministry’s efforts to coordinate international cultural exchange programs initiated by various departments within the ministry.
Outside the country, overseas Korean Cultural Centers will serve as hubs to spearhead the global spread of Korean culture, working in conjunction with the Korea Tourism Organization’s offices, the Korea Creative Content Agency’s business centers, and King Sejong Institute centers.
The government will also expand the role of King Sejong Institute centers in steps, so they can act as “small cultural centers” in regions lacking a Korean Cultural Center.
The culture ministry will also offer community-based events where visitors can experience Korean culture in those regions, in collaboration with the foreign ministry and overseas Korean missions.
Under the new strategy, small-scale cultural events previously held independently to celebrate anniversaries of diplomatic ties and other international events will now be unified under the single brand “Korea Season.”
The government will hold the “Korea Season” festivals, encompassing culture-arts, the content industry, sports and tourism, in about 10 carefully chosen target countries annually, to promote Korean culture.
In addition, the government will host a large-scale annual hallyu festival, tentatively named “Beyond K-Festival,” starting next year for overseas tourists who want to enjoy K-pop, dramas, and other hallyu content in Korea. In conjunction with this festival, the government will also host international forums to contribute to the development of international cultural policies.
[email protected]
(END)
