Korea-UAE Cultural Exchange in Full Swing... K-Pop Performances Scheduled for June and October

Support for Content Startup Entry and Investment Attraction
Establishment of Korea Joint Pavilion...Promoting Company Entry and Marketing

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism recently announced on the 30th that, as a follow-up to the cultural cooperation memorandum of understanding signed with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ministry of Culture and Youth, it will provide customized support for content and tourism companies to enter and export to the Middle East. Minister Park Bo-gyun stated, "All Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism employees will act as salespeople, boldly and intensively showcasing K-culture and content to promote the spread of the Korean Wave in the Middle East," adding, "We will also lead exports of related industries through the premium effect of K-culture."

The UAE has the second-largest content market in the Middle East. It is evaluated to have great growth potential due to its high youth population ratio and income level. Considering its strategic importance, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will form the 'Second Middle East Boom Task Force' led by the Ministry’s Cultural Policy Officer. The task force aims to expand exports of K-content and related industries and strengthen exchanges and cooperation in culture, sports, and tourism. A ministry official said, "Managers from the fields of culture, content, media, tourism, and sports will participate as team members," and added, "Starting with the UAE, we plan to establish a cultural and content export strategy targeting the Middle East including Saudi Arabia, and further extending to Africa, while planning detailed exchange and cooperation projects by sector."

The blueprint is already in place. The K-pop concert in Dubai in June and the Korea Festival in October are representative examples. The latter is an interactive cultural exchange event featuring K-pop concerts, traditional cultural performances, and film screenings. A ministry official explained, "The UAE, along with Saudi Arabia, has the largest K-pop fan base in the Middle East and North Africa region," and added, "We expect to gain various synergy effects by naturally promoting K-culture through K-pop."

Programs supporting overseas expansion and investment attraction for content startups in connection with Middle Eastern accelerators are also being prepared. Earlier, the domestic accelerator NP15 Partners signed a memorandum of understanding with the local venture capital Shorooq Partners for startup discovery and investment. Support for the broadcasting and video sector will focus on the Seoul International Broadcasting and Video Market (BCWW) in August and the Dubai International Content Market in November. The former will feature a special Middle East session and invite many Middle Eastern buyers, while the latter will establish a Korean joint pavilion to promote overseas expansion and marketing of domestic companies. A ministry official said, "UAE OTT subscribers account for about 25% of the Middle East and North Africa region," adding, "Since it is an important market, we will explore various measures both domestically and internationally."

Some projects are entering the concretization stage, including exchanges in the book and publishing sector and Korean traditional cultural events. The Sharjah Book Authority, one of the seven emirates of the UAE, has invited Korea as the guest of honor at the Sharjah International Book Fair, the largest book fair in the Arab world, held in November. The Korea Publishers Association also invited Sharjah as the guest of honor at the Seoul International Book Fair in June. The two organizations will sign a memorandum of understanding next month and begin full preparations. Korean traditional cultural events will be held throughout the year, starting with a performance by Akdang Gwangchil at the New York University Art Center in Abu Dhabi on the 4th of next month. The Korean Cultural Center will be responsible for events and education introducing Samulnori, traditional food, and games. A ministry official said, "We plan to invite experts related to Korean traditional culture, literature, and history to hold seminars and provide Korean language education at three local Sejong Institutes."