Gyeongnam Gimhae Becomes Friends with Weifang and Dalian Cities in China

Opening Ceremony of the 'East Asia Cultural City' Today

This year's 'East Asia Cultural City' opening ceremony will be held on the 22nd at the Cultural Center in Gimhae, Gyeongnam. It is a cultural exchange and cooperation project in which Korea, China, and Japan annually select and promote cities with unique regional cultures. It has been held every year since 2014, following the agreement at the 2012 Korea-China-Japan Cultural Ministers' Meeting.

This year's East Asia Cultural Cities are Gimhae City, Weifang City and Dalian City in China. Ishikawa Prefecture, selected from Japan, has suspended its activities due to damage caused by the Noto Peninsula earthquake that occurred in January.

The slogan for this year is "Golden Sea, Striking Asia." Various cultural events will be held, including the East Asia Youth Cultural Festival, Korea-China-Japan Ceramic Exchange Exhibition, Asian Mask Exhibition, and Gaya Culture Festival. Programs showcasing the cultural diversity of Korea, China, and Japan will also be conducted in connection with major cultural events in Gimhae such as the Gimhae International Music Festival, International Children's Theater Festival, and Buncheong Ceramic Festival.

Yong Hoseong, Director of the International Cultural Promotion Policy Office at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said, "As an East Asia Cultural City, we hope to discover unique and original cultural and artistic contents of the region and to activate regional cultural exchanges," adding, "We will spare no effort to support Korea, China, and Japan in expanding the scope of international cultural exchange in various ways."