The fifth anniversary of the KCCUK Featured a music performance in two parts: the collaboration of pianist Kim Sun-wook and tenor Park Ji-min and pansori performed by Master Song Soon-seop and singer Lee Ja-ram (photo courtesy of KCCUK).
Thanks to the rising interest in Korean culture worldwide, the roles and responsibilities of overseas Korean Cultural Centers (KCC) have expanded. What they do is to bridge two nations by enhancing cultural exchanges, thereby helping to make Korean culture more easily accessible to the local community. As of January 2013, there are a total of 24 Korean Cultural Centers throughout the world playing such a role.
The KCC in London recently celebrated its fifth anniversary. Since London has been a background of large cultural events such as K-pop flash mobs, the K-Pop Academy, and Korean Film Nights, the anniversary event was well-received by the London locals.
The celebration, scheduled for a five-day run from January 26 to 30, began with a musical performance that brought together distinguished musical talents from Korea’s traditional and classical genres. For the first part, pianist Kim Sun-wook and tenor Park Ji-min performed together to feature classical and modern aspect of music, while the second part of the event was prepared by a pansori team, Master Song Soon-seop and singer Lee Ja-ram, who showcased Jeokbyeokga (The Battle of the Red Cliffs) in traditional Korean opera style.
After the musical event, a number of guests visited the website of the KCCUK and posted words of appreciation. Comments posted included: “I’m impressed. It was so different, so beautiful. It was completely incomparable to Polish or in general European culture”, and “It was brilliant. I personally loved the pansori”. Some local professionals working in the cultural and arts sectors also expressed their enjoyment and inclination to book them for local concerts in the near future.
On January 30, the last day of the celebration, four local culture experts were invited to a forum titled Bridge to the Future to discuss the present and future of Korean culture’s presence in the UK and the possible future direction of the KCCUK itself. They conversed on such topics as the Korean wave in the British context, Korean art, and connecting British and Korean performing arts.
Special awards from the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism are given to seven important members that had collaborated with the KCC on many occasions. Pictured is Korean War veteran Brigadier Parritt CBE (photo courtesy of KCCUK).
At a dinner party following the forum, British experts who have dedicated themselves to cultural exchanges and cooperation between Korea and the UK were awarded an appreciation plaque. The chosen awardees included Jan Stuart, keeper of the Department of Asia at the British Museum, director Ralph Rugoff of the Hayward Gallery, Pageant Master Adrian Evans of the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant, and more.
The KCCUK is not alone in working to propel the relationship between both sides forward. There are a number of Korean cultural centers organizing activities for boosting cooperation and exchanges.
In Germany, Seoul Garden Festival is scheduled to take place in May as part of a commemoration event to mark the 130th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Germany. The KCC in Berlin announced at a press conference on January 15 that Seoul Garden was selected as the garden of this year and explained the ongoing preparation process. Run by the Berlin municipal government, the garden festival has long been loved as a place for garden lovers to take a peek into various landscape designs featuring all sorts of styles of countries. It was visited by 720,000 visitors last year.
From Turkey, a heart-warming story was recently reported. The KCC in Ankara donated around KRW 3.8 million (USD 3.47 million) to a foundation for children with leukemia. The large donation was collected at a K-pop bazaar and a cultural event run at Café Danbi in the cultural center.
Last year, fans of Korean singers visited Café Danbi and made donations in the names of their favorite singers while enjoying traditional Korean tea or coffee for free. Turkish fans competed in the event to show how much they love the singers. The winning victory was given to SS501, beating out Super Junior and Shinee. Kim Hyun-joong, leader of SS501, expressed his gratitude to his fans in a video message.
Child models prepare to come on to the stage for the Hanbok fashion show (photo courtesy of Korea Cultural Center DC).
In the KCC in Washington, D.C., the Korean Traditional Costume Fashion Show was unveiled on January 13 in a celebration of Korean American Day, which was designated by the U.S. Congress in 2003 to recognize the substantial contributions of Americans of Korean heritage to the United States. Visitors to the fashion show had a chance to explore contemporary and traditional Hanbok fashion including an exhibition of 50 Hanbok creations by professional Korean designers. The fashion show reportedly received rave reviews.
By Lee Seung-ah
source:ohstar.com
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