Ashraf AboArafe
Korean Ambassador: We are proud of our close relationship with Egypt, and our cultural exchanges have succeeded in overcoming the barrier of geographical distance
Yesterday, the activities of the Korean Culture Week kicked off at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Fustat, amidst a large diplomatic and public presence.
The Korean Ambassador, Kim Young Hyun, expressed his happiness and gratitude for organizing the Korean Culture Week at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, where Egypt’s unique antiquities and rich culture from ancient times to the modern era are displayed.
He thanked Dr. Ahmed Ghoneim, CEO of the museum and the museum staff for their tireless efforts in organizing the activities of the Korean Culture Week.
The Korean ambassador said that since his arrival to Egypt 3 months ago, he sought to meet many Egyptians and explore Egypt’s rich culture and its unique cultural heritage. He expressed his thanks for the hospitality he had received, as well as the appreciation for Korean culture and Korean creativity.
He said that Egypt and Korea have strong bilateral relations. Friendship relations and growing popular relations at the cultural and economic levels.
He said that the geographical distance between Egypt and South Korea may pose a challenge in terms of enhancing exchanges and relations between the two countries, but today we are witnessing how cultural exchanges can unite peoples and transcend geographical barriers and different cultural environments.
The Korean ambassador said that it is a matter of happiness that many Egyptian youth and the elderly enjoy K-pop, Korean drama, Korean food and other elements of Korean culture.
He pointed out that there are about 90 K-pop clubs in Egypt, with more than 900,000 members, and these clubs organize many activities to introduce Korean culture.
In the same way, many Egyptian students accept to learn the Korean language. In this regard, the Korean Language Department, which opened in 2005, plays a constructive role alongside the courses organized by the Sejong Institute for Korean Language Education at the Korean Cultural Center.
The Korean ambassador added that many Egyptian youth are eager to visit Korea, where famous K-pop groups such as BTS and Blackpink are located, and this is just the beginning.
He stressed that these exchanges between the peoples of the two countries would strengthen the relations of friendship and cooperation by strengthening mutual understanding.
He also noted the importance of public diplomacy, saying that the Korean government is keen on strengthening public diplomacy, in order to build strong people-to-people relations with various countries of the world through culture, art, sports, and many others.
The Korean Embassy and the Korean Cultural Center in Cairo intend to work hard to promote cultural exchanges between the two countries.
The ambassador noted that enhancing mutual understanding and building bridges of communication should go in two directions, not only presenting the Korean culture to the Egyptian people, but also through presenting the rich Egyptian culture in Korea.
For his part, Dr. said: Ahmed Ghoneim, CEO of the Museum, said that the celebration of the Korean Cultural Week is an important occasion to highlight the vibrant cultural relations between South Korea and Egypt.
Despite the geographical distance that separates the two countries, these relations have succeeded in bridging the gap and bringing them closer through a shared commitment to fostering arts, creativity, cultural enrichment, and the dynamic exchange of ideas, customs and traditions. He noted that both Egyptian and Korean cultures are proud of their rich history, including language, literature, music, dance, and festivals.
A group of ambassadors of foreign countries in Egypt participated in the musical celebration.
The Korean band Baekjae Hansungjaejam performed a group of traditional musical pieces and dazzling artistic performances on the stage of the Museum of Civilization, which lasted for about an hour and a half and received great admiration from the audience.
The activities of the Korean Culture Week continue for a week, as art exhibitions will be opened today, including the Korean Book Fair, which includes organizing a meeting with the Korean writer Jeong Yeo Jeong, about her novel “Seven Years in the Dark.”
