Jinju Silk and Taekkyeon as Bridges for International Cultural Exchange

Jinju, Chungju, Miryang, Chuncheon, Goryeong, and Other Cities Selected for Support This Year
Workshops, Fashion Shows, and Performances Held Through Close Exchanges

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Foundation for International Cultural Exchange announced on the 15th that this year's 'Regional Culture International Exchange Support Project' recipients are Jinju-si in Gyeongnam, Chungju-si in Chungbuk, Miryang-si in Gyeongnam, Chuncheon-si in Gangwon, and Goryeong-gun in Gyeongbuk.

Taekkyeon

The Regional Culture International Exchange Support Project serves as a channel to encourage basic local governments and regional cultural and artistic organizations to engage in exchanges with cities around the world using their unique content. Since 2018, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has provided multifaceted support to facilitate international cultural exchanges utilizing tangible and intangible cultural resources. The ministry solicits and selects international cultural exchange project plans from private cultural and artistic organizations within basic local governments nationwide, providing up to 70 million KRW in budget and expert advice by field to the implementing organizations. Additionally, educational programs are prepared to enhance the planning capabilities of organizations preparing for the project the following year.

The regions selected this year will conduct exchanges through programs that highlight tradition and distinctiveness. Jinju-si and the Jinju Cultural Tourism Foundation will combine their specialty product Jinju silk with Batik (traditional hand-dyeing technique) from East Java, Indonesia, to hold workshops and fashion shows. Chungju-si and the World Martial Arts Union will conduct workshops and performances featuring Taekkyeon and Bovi Nam (traditional Vietnamese martial arts) in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Miryang-si and the Miryang Citizens' Arts Group will perform traditional dances with Dakar, Senegal; Chuncheon-si and the Nami Island Education and Culture Group will collaborate on a public art project with New Delhi, India; and Goryeong-gun and the Goryeong Cultural Center will hold joint music performances with Cremona, Italy.

Next year, Yesan-gun in Chungnam and the Chungnam Cultural Foundation will present a joint orchestra performance with Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Haman-gun in Gyeongnam and the Pungmulpae Cheong-eum will hold traditional folk performances with Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, and Namhae-gun in Gyeongnam and the Namhae Cultural Center will host a cultural and arts festival with Faro, Portugal.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism hopes to see a repeat of the success of Icheon ceramics, which advanced to the World Cultural Heritage Crafts Expo. In 2019, Icheon-si in Gyeonggi conducted a ceramic production exchange program with France, expanding awareness of ceramic culture. Jeong Hyang-mi, Director of the Cultural Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, stated, "When attractive local cultural content exchanges with various countries around the world, gains recognition for its value, and secures competitiveness, the local economy can also be revitalized. We will spare no support necessary for the promotion of international exchange projects, including content planning, marketing, copyright, and promotion and branding."