Yoon In-chon "Expecting the Spread of 'K-Culture' in Central Asia"
Planning Exhibition Highlighting the Past and Future of the Silk Road Held
The government has established a framework for cooperation in the cultural sector with Uzbekistan.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ministry of Culture of Uzbekistan signed a "Letter of Intent for Cultural Cooperation" on the 14th. The agreement aims to promote friendly relations between the two countries through culture. It includes mutual exchange and cooperation among cultural institutions and experts in the arts such as museums and libraries, mutual participation in cultural events scheduled to be held in both countries, and cooperation between sports organizations, reflecting a commitment to expand exchanges across the entire cultural sector.
Minister Yoo In-chon of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said, "This will be a turning point for increasing intimacy between the peoples of both countries," adding, "I hope this will lead to the spread of 'K-Culture' in Central Asia and foster a closer relationship between Korea and Uzbekistan."
A significant portion of Uzbekistan's population studies the Korean language. Among the five major Central Asian countries (Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan), Uzbekistan accounts for the largest share of visitors to Korea. Of the 114,559 visitors last year, 45.8% (52,480 people) were from Uzbekistan. In September 2022, the Korean cultural festival "Mokkoji Daehanminguk" held in Uzbekistan attracted 26,000 local Hallyu fans.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will actively promote cultural exchanges with Uzbekistan going forward. Leading the efforts will be the National Asia Culture Center. Next year, it will hold a special exhibition highlighting the past and future of the Silk Road and operate the "Asia Storytelling Committee," which includes Uzbekistan, to discover and introduce local stories.
The seven Sejong Institutes in Uzbekistan will expand the "Sejong Cultural Academy," led by Korean culture experts. In the sports sector, support will be provided for the Uzbekistan Taekwondo competition scheduled for September, and joint training sessions (fencing) will be held inviting national representatives from developing countries.
Tourism exchanges will also be expanded. Centered on the Korea Tourism Organization's newly established Tashkent promotional office in Uzbekistan as of March, support will be provided to activate medical tourism and educational travel. Additionally, the Korean pavilion will be operated at the Tashkent International Tourism Expo in November to strengthen promotion of tourism to Korea.
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