Forum brings world perspectives on Korean cuisine, literature and popular culture promotion


International cultural figures gathered on Tuesday in Seoul for a series of discussions on Korean culture and ways of promoting it globally.

The Culture Communication Forum, which kicked off Sunday, has provided an opportunity for 14 cultural leaders from 13 countries to experience diverse Korean culture and share their opinions regarding how to introduce it to the rest of the world.

The event is organized by the Corea Image Communication Institute, which hosted the C20 (Culture 20) side event during the G20 Seoul Summit last year.

On Tuesday, the cultural experts shared their views on Korean culture after spending the previous two days in Korea. The forum was divided into three different sections: Korea and Korean global communication; Hallyu, Korean pop culture as a global culture; and Korean cuisine, traditional or globalization.

The first section started with a speech by Dominique Wolton, research director of the French National Center for Scientific Research, who emphasized the importance of cultural diversity on the Korean peninsula. “Korea has been facing many conflicts with China and Japan,” Wolton said during his speech. “And ‘political wars’ can be solved within the framework of cultural diversity and tolerance for other cultures. I used the term ‘political wars’ because multiculturalism is a political issue.”

Paul Greatbatch, a cultural investor from the U.K., said Seoul has developed itself into an aesthetically pleasing city that attracts foreign visitors, while it used to symbolize rapid industrialization and economic development. He also said that Korean literature can be a great bridge linking Korea and the rest of the world, mentioning author Shin Kyung-sook’s success in U.K. with “Please Look after Mom” and Korean economist Chang Ha-joon, whose English-language books also have been doing well in the country.

Yet Russian-Korean novelist Anatoli Kim said he’d like to see more translated Korean books in Russia. “There are a plenty of Japanese books that have been translated into Russian, and people of Russia understand and learn about the Japanese culture through their literature,” Kim said. “But I don’t think Korea has been using its literature as a tool of promoting its culture. I’d like to see that happening in Russia in future.”

Italian architect Amedeo Schiattarella, who is also president of the Register of Architects in Rome, said Seoul’s architectural buildings do not showcase much originality compared to other metropolitan cities around the world. He said Korea should look into ways of preserving its traditions and nature while being progressive. Bringing a traditional touch can also make Korea’s buildings more visually pleasing, he said. “I’ve seen a Korean building from the 13th century at a museum during my stay here,” he said. “And it was surprisingly modern.”

Takao Sugiura, Tsuji Culinary Institute’s Japanese Cuisine professor said the previous two days had completely changed his perception of Korean cuisine. “I had this idea that Korean food is too spicy, has a strong smell and gets served too much,” he said. “But I’ve realized that many Japanese cuisines had been influenced by the Korean cuisine back in the old days.”

The CCF ended with a special event on Tuesday night, consisting of cultural performances and the serving of traditional Korean cuisine.

By Claire Lee (dyc@heraldcorp.com)