Songpa-gu Mayor Park Seong-su Holds the '2021 Daebaekje Academic Forum' with 5 Municipalities of the Baekje Cultural Area

Songpa-gu Holds '2021 Daebaekje Academic Forum' with 5 Municipalities in Baekje Cultural Area

Park Seong-su, Mayor of Songpa District (center), and others at the 2021 Great Baekje Academic Forum Heads of Organizations Agreement Ceremony

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Leaders of Baekje historical and cultural cities gathered in Songpa-gu to declare exchange and cooperation for the grand unification of Baekje historical and cultural festivals held in each city, seeking mutual joint development plans among the cities.

On the afternoon of the 23rd, Songpa-gu (Mayor Park Seong-su) held the ‘2021 Great Baekje Academic Forum’ at the Songpa-gu Office auditorium with five local governments: Gongju-si and Buyeo-gun in Chungnam, Iksan-si in Jeonbuk, and Hanam-si and Gwangju-si in Gyeonggi-do.

Under the theme “Great (大通) Baekje, Unfolding a Place of Integration and Exchange,” this forum marked the opening event of this year’s Hanseong Baekje Cultural Festival, the ‘2021 Great Baekje Festival.’

It was organized to revisit the splendid historical and cultural heritage of Great Baekje and to promote mutual exchange and cooperation among Baekje historical and cultural cities.

This was the first time that Baekje cultural zone cities nationwide gathered in one place.

The six leaders pledged through the ‘Declaration of Exchange and Cooperation for the Grand Unification of Baekje Historical and Cultural Festivals’ to jointly strive to discover and promote various cooperative projects and to create synergy effects among the festivals held in each city.

They also agreed to actively support the successful hosting of festivals in each city and to share festival information.

Following the exchange and cooperation declaration ceremony, the forum brought together 11 Baekje historical and cultural experts, including Professor Emeritus Noh Jung-guk of Keimyung University, Professor Kwon Oh-young of Seoul National University, and Professor Kim Ki-seop of Gongju National University Baekje Culture Research Institute, to conduct in-depth presentations and discussions on topics such as ▲The Dawn of Baekje Integration and Exchange ▲The Birth and Growth of Hanseong Baekje ▲Baekje’s Integration and Exchange and Its Contemporary Significance.

Related institutions such as the Hanseong Baekje Museum and representatives of residents also attended.

Park Seong-su, Mayor of Songpa-gu, stated, “Through this forum, it is meaningful to create an opportunity to integrate the ancient Baekje culture that developed into Great Baekje through three capitals?Hanseong, Ungjin, and Sabi?in Songpa-gu, where the history and culture of Hanseong Baekje from 2,000 years ago breathe life.”

He added, “Through the Great Baekje Festival to be held this October with Baekje cultural zone cities nationwide, we will achieve the grand unification of Baekje historical and cultural festivals and sustainable development, and we will continue to gather strength and wisdom.”

This forum was hosted by Songpa-gu, organized by the Baekje Society, and sponsored by the Seoul Metropolitan Government.

Meanwhile, Songpa-gu plans to hold the ‘2021 Great Baekje Festival,’ the Hanseong Baekje Cultural Festival, around October this year.

Last year, considering the COVID-19 situation, it was held as the ‘Ontact Hanseong Baekje Cultural Festival,’ presenting new possibilities for non-face-to-face festivals.

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