Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Announces 2023 East Asia Cultural Cities Contest

Opportunities for Planning and Exchange of Cultural Events with Selected Cities in China and Japan

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on the 25th that it will hold a public contest for the 2023 East Asia Cultural Cities targeting local governments. According to the 2012 agreement at the Cultural Ministers' Meeting, Korea, China, and Japan select one region each year as an East Asia Cultural City. This year’s selected cities?Suncheon (Korea), Shaoxing and Dunhuang (China), and Kitakyushu (Japan)?are conducting various exchange and cooperation projects to promote mutual cultural understanding. The East Asia Cultural Cities for next year are Gyeongju (Korea), Wenzhou and Jinan (China), and Oita Prefecture (Japan). Newly selected local governments will have the opportunity to jointly plan and exchange cultural events with the selected cities in China and Japan throughout 2023, promoting regional culture and fostering cooperation. The Ministry supports exchange projects in various fields such as culture, arts, and tourism. Selection criteria include city capabilities, project implementation plans, regional cultural development plans, and funding plans. Local governments can submit official letters signed by their heads to the Ministry by the 26th of next month.