Defectors-Local Residents 'Joint Cultural Zone'... Online Opening of the South-North Integration Cultural Center

Online Opening on the 13th

'Nam-Buk Integration Culture Center' to Promote Communication Between North Korean Defectors and Local Residents

The Ministry of Unification announced on the 12th that the 'Inter-Korean Integration Cultural Center,' a complex cultural space for communication and harmony between North Korean defectors and local residents, will open online at noon on the 13th.

Located in Magok-dong, Gangseo-gu, the Inter-Korean Integration Cultural Center is the first complex cultural space where local residents and North Korean defectors can communicate and harmonize through cultural activities. Construction began in April 2018 and was completed in December 2019, with a construction cost of 23.5 billion KRW.

The center was originally scheduled to open in March, but due to the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the offline opening has been indefinitely postponed, opting instead for an online opening.

Lee Jong-joo, Director of the Ministry of Unification's India Cooperation Bureau, said, "Even amid the COVID-19 situation, we will provide various video contents aligned with the online opening so that the public can safely enjoy diverse programs, and operate small-scale offline programs that comply with social distancing guidelines."

Starting from the 13th, videos including ▲center introduction (web drama, facility guide, etc.) ▲congratulatory messages (from the Minister of Unification, Gangseo District Mayor, Sumi Jo, Lim Hyung-joo, etc.) ▲celebratory performances (by Lim Hyung-joo, Seol Woon-do, Kim Seong-sil, Kim Cheol-woong, Yoo Taepyeongyang, etc.) will be available on the Ministry of Unification and center websites, as well as on social network services (SNS).

Additionally, videos featuring individual content creators touring and experiencing the center’s integrated cultural experience hall and special exhibition hall will be released on the website and YouTube channel.

Moreover, the public will be able to watch videos showing the preparation of various traditional dishes from both North and South Korea and participate in inter-Korean and peace discussions via Zoom, providing diverse channels for communication.

The center’s website will also allow safe online borrowing and viewing of approximately 30,000 books held by the Peace and Unification Library.

Alongside this, programs such as 'Inter-Korean Life Sharing Dialogues' between defectors and local residents, individual and small group counseling for defectors, mask-sharing experiences with local residents, and Inter-Korean Integration Cultural Center docent courses will be piloted on a small scale (around six participants).

The Ministry of Unification stated, "We will develop the center into a shared cultural zone for residents of both Koreas, a growth space for defectors, and a cradle for peace experiences," adding, "We will support the center to become a space where residents of both Koreas can joyfully communicate, share warm hearts, and live peaceful lives."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.