The seventh Arab Cultural Festival kicked off in Seoul on May 21 with numerous events slated throughout Seoul and Busan until July 4.

Co-organized by the Korea Arab Society and a number of other cultural organizations, the festival officially got started at a reception for a contemporary Arabic art exhibition at Blue Square gallery NEMO in Itaewon, Seoul, on May 22.

Salam Fayyad, former prime minister of Palestine, delivered a lecture at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies on May 27.

Omani Ambassador to South Korea Mohamed Salim Alharthy delivered a lecture on Arabic-Korean ties and culture at Dankook University on Wednesday as part of a lecture series by the Arab Diplomatic Corps. Moroccan Deputy Head of Mission Lhoucine Rhazoui is slated to deliver one at Myongji University Seoul Campus on June 2.

Kim Yu-yeon, a well-known international art curator, led the exhibition introducing 15 artists at the Blue Square NEMO space titled “Fluid Form II,” which ran to May 31. “Fluid Form II” will be shown again from June 4 to July 3 at the Busan Museum of Art.

Korea-Arab Society Secretary-General Chung Yong-chil, a former Foreign Service officer, noted the growing interest among South Koreans in the Arabic culture and language.

“Where South Korea and the Arab world were economic partners, now they are full-fledged strategic partners. Korea and the Arab world have fostered cooperation in political, economic and cultural fields as well as people-to-people exchanges,” Chung said during the event.

The Arab Film Festival is scheduled at Art House MOMO at Ewha Woman‘s University from June 19 to 25 and then at the Busan Cinema Center from June 20 to 26.

(ephilip2014@heraldcorp.com)