Overseas Korean Cultural Center Director and Cultural Promotion officials participated in Conference in Seoul from March 14 to 17

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Minister PARK Bo Gyoon, MCST) hosts the 2023 conference joined by the Overseas Korean Cultural Center Director and Cultural Promotion officials at the KOCIS Center (Seoul) from March 14 (Tue) to 17 (Fri). The conference was joined by 28 Korean Cultural Center directors and five Cultural Promotion officials who promoted and raised awareness on Korean culture (K-culture) in 29 countries worldwide.

First established in Tokyo and New York in 1979, the Korean Cultural Centers are at the forefront of the country’s efforts to spread and promote K-culture globally. Currently, Korea operates 33 centers in 28 countries, with two new centers set to open in Austria and Sweden. Korean Cultural Centers in each host country comprehensively consider the citizens’ preferences, their interest in Korea, and other local circumstances to introduce K-culture and Korea’s government policies through various channels, such as exhibitions, performances, and related activities.

 Activities to Build the Participants’ Competency as “Leading Sales Representatives for K-content and K-tourism” at the Forefront of Overseas Sales

The Korean Cultural Centers lay the groundwork for Korean culture and art professionals to access the global market via overseas concerts and exhibitions by providing diverse support. They also promote the export of Korean content, including films, TV shows, webcomics, and computer games.

During the conference, the Korean Cultural Center directors and Cultural Promotion officials  shared their successful experiences as the promoters of K-culture export and participated in various programs to further enhance their capabilities. On March 14, the participants also shared success stories on the field during the workshop presided over by the MCST minister. The success stories presented during the workshop include the Korean Cultural Center Belgium’s “Global Brand Marketing for K-classic” and the Korean Cultural Center South Africa’s “Collaboration among Artists with Disabilities to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Korea-South Africa Diplomatic Relationship.” The Korean Cultural Center Singapore gave a presentation on the traditional Korean paper (hanji) exhibition held during the Jeonju Hanji Culture Festival, one of the largest festivals in the country.

The conference aims to enable the participants to develop a shared understanding on the direction of the government’s PR efforts for its national policies, as well as the latest trends in global politics and policies on foreign affairs. Moreover, the conference includes two expert lectures to enhance the role of Korean Cultural Centers as the forward operating bases for K-content. It also allows participants to discuss ways to jointly support the export of K-content, improve Korea’s global image, and ultimately increase the export of Korean products.

 Conference Participants to Discuss Ways to fulfill their Roles as the Frontline Base for K-culture in Cooperation with 22 Relevant Institutions

On March 15 (Wed) and 16 (Thur), the directors and cultural promotion officials discussed ways to work with the relevant institutions to promote the export of K-culture, K-content, and K-tourism. The consultative meetings include 22 institutions related to culture and art, creative content, tourism, and sports, including the Arts Council Korea, the Korea Creative Content Agency, the Korea Tourism Organization, the Visit Korea Committee, and the Taekwondo Promotion Foundation. Through the meeting, the participants plan to identify collaborative opportunities and discuss ways to integrate their efforts to support the spread of Korean culture, content, and tourism across overseas markets and consolidate their networks.

Korean Culture and Information Service Director KIM Jang-ho said, “Korea is entering an era of cultural prosperity. K-culture, K-content, and K-tourism are writing history on the global stage.” He added, “We will use the ideas presented during the conference to enhance the roles of Korean Cultural Centers and Culture Promotion Centers as Korea’s leading “sales representatives” to promote K-culture, K-content, and K-tourism across the world. I hope the conference will provide opportunities for the centers to build their competitiveness as the forward bases for spreading K-culture and innovate their own operations.”