'12 Stories Connecting Citizens of a Korean-Japanese International Couple Making Fusion Makgeolli in Japan'

'Introducing My Friends and Neighbors from Korea and Japan' Ministry of Foreign Affairs Announces Winners of Story Contest

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] #A Korean husband and a Japanese wife are producing fusion Makgeolli in Japan using Korean and Japanese ingredients as the main raw materials and traditional manufacturing methods utilizing earthenware jars from Gochang-gun. Now in its 10th year, this Makgeolli receives orders from all over Japan. (A Korea-Japan international couple producing fusion Makgeolli in Japan)

#Seven young people (2 Koreans, 5 Japanese) continue to hold monthly online exchange programs to expand Korea-Japan exchange ties despite the COVID-19 pandemic, discussing various fields and building friendships, thus maintaining a platform for exchange. (Youth Online Korea-Japan Exchange Planning Committee Executive Members)

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on the 28th that it is holding a story contest titled ‘Introducing My Korean-Japanese Friends and Neighbors’ to activate grassroots public diplomacy involving citizen participation between Korea and Japan, and will publish 12 selected works on its website.

This contest was conducted to further encourage private exchanges and cooperation through everyday stories containing diverse experiences and activities that contributed to the development of Korea-Japan relations, and to seek the development of a future-oriented friendly cooperative relationship between the two countries.

The stories selected in this contest will be produced as card news and representative case videos to be shared by Korean and Japanese citizens, and will be published on the contest website on the 28th. Later, they will also be posted on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Public Cultural Diplomacy Bureau SNS channels (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube).

Representative stories include △a Korea-Japan international couple producing fusion Makgeolli in Japan while adhering to traditional Korean manufacturing methods △a Japanese national park guide at Danyang Woraksan National Park who introduces the park to Japanese tourists and leads exchange activities for protecting the natural ecology of both countries △and a team of youth executive members of the Korea-Japan Exchange Planning Committee who expand unwavering Korea-Japan exchange ties online despite COVID-19.

Meanwhile, the award ceremony for the finalists and protagonists of this contest will be held on the 5th of next month at the National Diplomacy Center on the first floor of the Seoul Government Complex Annex. Going forward, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs plans to further activate grassroots public diplomacy to improve mutual understanding and awareness between the Korean and Japanese peoples and to continuously expand the foundation of reciprocal exchange and cooperation between the two peoples.