[Arts & Culture] What to expect during Korea-Italy Year of Cultural Exchange

막 오른 한-이탈리아 상호문화교류의 해, 기대할 점은?

Time now for our weekly Arts and Culture segment.
We have our culture correspondent Song Yoo-jin with us in the studio.
Welcome back, Yoo-jin.

Great to be back.

What do you have for us today?

Last week, our Arts and Culture took place in Paris and this week, it's Rome.
The 2024-2025 Korea-Italy Year of Cultural Exchange officially began last Saturday.
Both countries will be engaging in a wide array of cultural programs to strengthen ties and promote mutual understanding.
I had the opportunity to attend the opening night festivities and get a glimpse of some of the main events and artists involved.
Let's take a look.

Rome, often referred to as the "Eternal City," stands as a cornerstone of Western civilization, boasting centuries-old architectural marvels, art, and beauty.
Now picture a traditional Korean dance performance in the heart of this Italian capital.
Dancers dressed in Hanbok, move gracefully to the tunes of traditional Korean music.
This is the National Gugak Center's production, "The Prince's Dream."


"With this opening performance "The Prince's Dream" here at the Teatro Argentina in Rome, the Korea-Italy Year of Mutual Cultural Exchange has officially kicked off. The two countries have declared 2024-2025 as a year of cultural exchange."

"This performance tells the tale of a crown prince stepping out of the palace to learn, feel, and understand the lives of his people.
Accompanied by traditional music and dances such as Taepyungmu, danced to hope for a prosperous world, and Salpuri-chum, danced to comfort departed souls, this show holds particular significance as we celebrate 140 years of diplomatic relations between Korea and Italy."

The Korea-Italy Year of Cultural Exchange was declared by the leaders of the two countries during their summit in Seoul last November, to enhance bilateral ties through cultural diplomacy.

The project comes in perfect timing as Korean culture has seen a surge in popularity in Italy over the past several years.

"The reason certain Italians began very interested in Korea, drama and etc., COVID plus the widespreading of Netflix. Second and third I would say that is students start to become very curious about, they want to know more about Korea beyond what they see, for this reason, the number of students increased continuously."

As part of the initiative, the Culture Ministry will organize exhibitions featuring experienced Korean artists, tourism fairs, and festivals showcasing contemporary dance and cinema in Italy.
Renowned Korean sculptor Park Eun-sun's "Colonna Infinita" will be showcased at key landmarks in Rome including the Piazza Bocca della Verita for four months starting in June.

"I've been living and working in Italy for 31 years. I'm really grateful that my pieces will be showcased in Rome as part of the Korea-Italy Year of Cultural Exchange and the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries."

Through these efforts, the Korea-Italy Year of Cultural Exchange aims to introduce the diverse facets of Korean culture, not just K-pop and K-dramas.

"If you ask about Korea, they talk about Hallyu, all contemporary things. Skincare, beauty, technology, high-technology all these things. It's like if Korea from a very poor country became rich and there's no history behind it."

"While Korea is predominantly known for its modern cultural exports like K-pop and dramas in Italy, it's important to recognize Korea's rich historical heritage and the diverse cultural treasures it offers, which we aim to introduce to Italy."

Throughout this year and the next, both countries hope to discover and explore more of each other's culture.


Strengthening cultural diplomacy often hinges on people-to-people interactions. Are there any upcoming events planned as part of the Korea-Italy Year of Cultural Exchange?

Specific details are yet to be finalized, but efforts are underway to create joint productions involving young artists from both countries.
There are also discussions about inviting museum curators and tour agency officials from Italy to participate in exchange programs in Korea.
Additionally, the Culture Ministry plans to open a branch of the Korea Creative Content Agency Business Center in Italy by the first half of next year.

Alright.
Thank you, Yoo-jin for your report today.

My pleasure.

#Korea_Italy_Year_of_Cultural_Exchange #diplomati_relations #cultural_diplomacy #Korean_culture #Kculture #한이탈리아_상호문화교류 #한국문화 #Arirang_News #아리랑뉴스

📣 Facebook :   / arirangtvnews  
📣 Twitter :   / arirangtvnews  
📣 Homepage : https://arirang.com/

2024-05-10, 18:00 (KST)