KF ASEAN Culture Center Hosts '2020 Han-ASEAN Craft Market' in Busan

Stories of Diverse Handicraft Culture and Exhibition Viewing and Purchasing

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The ASEAN Culture House, operated by KF (Korea Foundation), announced on the 27th that it will hold the '2020 Korea-ASEAN Craft Market' from the 30th to the 1st at F1963 located in Suyeong-gu, Busan.

This event allows visitors to view, purchase, and experience handcrafted products from 11 Korea-ASEAN countries' major fields. The ASEAN Culture House, which successfully held the Mekong Bazaar as a side event of the '1st Korea-Mekong Summit' last year, has planned this event again with the theme of 'crafts.'

The main program exhibits and sells over 250 practical yet unique handcrafted products from 11 companies representing the craft cultures of Korea and ASEAN. Participating companies pursue social and environmental values such as 'eco-friendliness and upcycling,' 'coexistence with local communities,' 'fair trade,' and 'modern reinterpretation of traditional culture.'

The second program, the Fair Trade Pop-up Store, introduces domestic fair trade companies leading fair trade with ASEAN countries. Visitors can find products aimed at 'ethical consumption,' such as woven scarves made in collaboration with producers in Laos, coconut oil to improve the quality of life of Filipino farmers, and wooden bowls made together with small producers from ASEAN.

The delicate touch unique to crafts can also be experienced firsthand. In the 'Lifestyle Creation Workshop,' available through online pre-registration, participants can learn Malaysian silkscreen printing, Indonesian dreamcatcher making, and traditional Korean knot bracelet making. The 'Multicultural Workshop,' available on a first-come, first-served basis on-site, is an easy craft experience program with ASEAN immigrants.

A KF official stated, "We hope that through this event filled with the scent of ASEAN, visitors can fully enjoy the feeling of traveling," and added, "We will continue to build a sustainable cultural exchange network through crafts as a medium."

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