KOICA to Hold 'Busan Development Cooperation Forum' on the 20th to Revitalize Local ODA

'Development Cooperation Projects and Culture: The Future of ODA Seen in Busan's Film and Cinema'
Discussing ODA Development Strategies Leveraging the Characteristics and Strengths of Busan, the Hub of Film and Cinema

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] KOICA announced on the 18th that it will jointly hold the 5th Busan Development Cooperation Forum this year with Busan City and the Busan International Exchange Foundation, both online and offline at BEXCO, Busan, starting from the 20th.

This forum will be held under the theme "Development Cooperation Projects and Culture: The Future of ODA, Seen through Busan’s Video and Film," with participation from domestic and international experts in the cultural ODA field, Busan citizens, and international development cooperation stakeholders.

KOICA has been participating in the Busan Development Cooperation Forum since 2016 to expand the ODA base in the Busan region. This year, the forum will discuss ODA development plans that leverage the characteristics and strengths of Busan as a video and film hub in the post-COVID-19 era under the given theme.

The forum consists of an opening ceremony and three sessions. Sessions 1 and 2 will feature presentations by speakers, and Session 3 will be a comprehensive discussion. Kim Ki-hwan, Director of Growth Strategy Bureau of Busan Metropolitan City, will deliver the opening remarks, and Song Jin-ho, Director of KOICA’s Social Value Management Headquarters, will give the congratulatory address. Before the main sessions begin, Jeong Jeong-sook, Director of the Korea Culture Planning and Evaluation Institute, will explain the definition, effects, and examples of cultural ODA.

In the first session, titled "Development Cooperation and Culture," Yoo Eun-jung, Team Leader of the Exchange Planning Team at the Korea Foundation for International Cultural Exchange, will present on "The Necessity of Cultural ODA Seen through the Cultural Partner Project." The Cultural Partner Project is an international development cooperation project that invites experts in cultural arts and cultural projects from developing countries to provide training that strengthens the cultural capabilities of partner countries, contributing to cultural development. Additionally, Lee Seong-hoon, Non-Executive Director of KOICA, will present on "The Role of Cultural ODA in the SDGs Era."

The second session will delve deeply into the forum’s theme, "The Future of ODA, Seen through Busan’s Video and Film." First, Seong Sang-chul, Secretary General of the Busan Film Commission, will present on "Efforts and Challenges in Discovering Video and Film ODA." Through this, he will propose cases of participation in video and film ODA projects in the film city of Busan and ideas for expanding Busan’s ODA discovery.

The final presentation will be given by Yoon Ji-young, Research Fellow at the Busan Institute, who will explain "The Future Value of Video and Film ODA in the Post-COVID-19 Era." Research Fellow Yoon is expected to suggest the direction Busan’s ODA should take amid the increasing demand for culture-related ODA in the post-COVID-19 era.

The last session will be a comprehensive discussion involving presenters from Sessions 1 and 2 and experts from countries such as Indonesia and Laos participating as panelists via video channels.

The event will be held in a hybrid format, simultaneously online and offline, and will be live-streamed on YouTube for about three and a half hours starting at 2 p.m. Applications and detailed information can be found on the official website, and presentation materials will be provided to those who register in advance.

Hong Soon-beom, Head of KOICA Busan Office, stated, "This Busan Development Cooperation Forum is significant as it opens a venue for sharing information among domestic and international experts to expand cooperation with local governments and discover region-specific development cooperation."

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