On November 8, First Vice Minister YONG Hoseong of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Minister YU In Chon, MCST) will attend the G20 Culture Ministers’ Meeting in Salvador, Brazil and introduce Korea’s key cultural policy directions. In addition, he is set to hold bilateral meetings with leaders from some of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) members participating in the event and ask for support for a new high-level meeting in the field of culture, which will be launched at the 2025 APEC Summit in Gyeongju. On November 6, the first vice minister signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for Korea-Brazil cultural cooperation with Brazil, holder of this year’s G20 Presidency, in Salvador.

With the attendance of culture ministers (or vice ministers) from the G20 members and guest countries and representatives from UNESCO, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and other international organizations, the G20 Culture Ministers’ Meeting will share policies and discuss cooperation on this year’s priorities: Cultural diversity and social inclusion; Culture, digital environment and copyright; Creative economy and sustainable economic development; and Preservation, safeguarding and promotion of cultural heritage and memory. At the culmination of the discussions, the meeting will adopt a joint declaration under the leadership of the Brazilian G20 Presidency.  

During his speech as the head of Korean delegation, Vice Minister YONG will underscore the power of culture for solidarity, dialog and cooperation and share Korea’s best policies and practices with regard to culture, which include supporting increased access to cultural and arts education, introducing copyright law designed to protect the rights of creators in AI and the digital environment, and providing record-high content policy financing and cultural technology development support.

During his visit, the first vice minister is set to hold bilateral meetings and explore ways to deepen cultural cooperation with the Culture Minister of Spain, the Assistant Deputy Minister of the Department of Canadian Heritage, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the US Department of State, the Non-Resident Permanent Delegate to UNESCO for Singapore, the Deputy Secretary of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts of Australia, and the Assistant Director-General for Culture of UNESCO, respectively. In these meetings, he will also ask for their active support and participation in a new high-level meeting on culture, which will take place as part of the 2025 APEC Summit in Korea.

Ahead of the ministerial meeting, Vice Minister YONG met with Minister of Culture of Brazil Margareth Menezes and signed an MOU on cultural cooperation between Korea and Brazil on November 6 in Salvador, 58 years after a bilateral cultural agreement was first concluded in 1966. The new MOU specified the scope of cooperation in the areas of cultural policy, the creative economy, performing and visual arts, cultural heritage and the audio-visual industry, laying down the foundation for cultural cooperation between the two countries. This new level of cooperation comes with special significance as this year marks the 65^th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic ties between Korea and Brazil.