Finnish Ambassador to South Korea Matti Heimonen promoted Scandinavian education, art and architecture during an exhibition at the Seoul Museum of Art in the historic Jeong-dong district of Seoul on Thursday.

The exhibition, “Nordic Passion: Architecture and Design from the Nordic Countries,” focuses on the philosophy and artistic vision of Scandinavian countries, and continues until Feb. 16.

“Today people are showing a keen interest in public architecture and design. The design trends of Nordic countries are held in particularly high regard, being widely admired not only for their form and function, but also for their philosophical approach which takes into consideration the needs of future generations, the natural environment and the environment,” the embassy said in a press statement on Thursday.

Design is currently a hot topic in South Korea, which now enjoys a high standard of living after decades of grinding poverty. But today’s South Korea is fraught with environmental and ethical problems due, according to some critics, to over-consumption and materialism.

“Nowadays Finland is known for more than saunas and Santa Claus,” said Heimonen during the Thursday reception. “South Koreans are turning to us as a country of high-tech innovation, design and our Nordic lifestyle.”

Finnish Minister of Education Krista Kiuru arrived here Thursday for a two-day trip in Seoul to deepen and promote cooperation between South Korea and Finland in education and research. Kiuru met with her South Korean counterpart Seo Nam-soo.

By Philip Iglauer (ephilip2011@heraldcorp.com)