Culture Ministry Hosts 'Cultural City Expo' in Yeongdeungpo Until the 7th

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on September 5 that, together with the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the National Council of Cultural Cities, it will host the '2025 Cultural City Expo' in the Yeongdeungpo area, including Yeouido Park and The Hyundai Seoul, until September 7. The opening ceremony will be held at 3:00 p.m. on September 5 at the Fairmont Hotel, with Vice Minister Kim Youngsoo of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism scheduled to attend.

A cultural city refers to a city designated by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism under the 'Regional Culture Promotion Act' to strengthen cultural creativity by utilizing the region's unique cultural assets. Since 2019, a total of 37 cities have been designated. The expo will provide an opportunity to share the achievements and vision of these policies with citizens.

The theme of the expo is 'A Garden Cultivated by Differences.' It reflects the idea that the diverse characteristics of each cultural city come together to create a vibrant garden of regional culture. In the main space, the Culture Yard at Yeouido Park, a large air dome promotional hall will showcase the unique appeal of all 37 cultural cities. At The Hyundai Seoul event hall, a 'Cultural City Pop-up Store' will be held. The pop-up store will offer five experiential activities, such as photo sessions and digital drawing, so that anyone can easily and enjoyably understand the significance of cultural city policies. Visitors who complete all experiences will receive special benefits at the promotional hall.

At the opening ceremony, the dance troupe 'An Gwa An Project,' which has participated in the Yeongdeungpo Cultural City project since 2023, will perform. Vice Minister Kim Youngsoo will present the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism's commendation to contributors to the promotion of cultural cities and deliver a plaque to Miryang, which has been selected as 'Cultural City of the Year.'

Yeongdeungpo was designated as a cultural city in December 2021. During the expo, visitors can experience programs based on the core projects of 'Cultural City Yeongdeungpo.' At 22 everyday venues such as cafes, there will be 'Cultural Real Estate Day' (September 5-7), where people can enjoy performances and make keyrings, and a special exhibition combining daily life and art with the city as its theme ('A Place to Stay in the City, HIDDEN GUEST,' September 5-6). Other events include: ▲ 'Design Camp Archive: Allorok Dallorok' (September 2-7), an exhibition visualizing the colors of Yeongdeungpo by 100 designers; ▲ 'Mullae Art Card Play' (September 5-6), a tour exploring the art and history of Mullae Creative Village with citizen guides; and ▲ 'Recipes on the Map' (September 6), a program to rediscover the local food culture through ingredients and cooking experiences at Daerim Central Market.

Vice Minister Kim Youngsoo stated, "Balanced regional development is a national survival strategy, and cultural cities foster self-sustaining power based on unique local assets, accelerating balanced regional growth. I hope this expo will widely publicize the achievements of the 37 cultural cities and provide citizens with an opportunity to experience and envision a sustainable future through culture."