Chairman Park: "Imbalance in the Degree of Openness in Korea-China Cultural Exchange... China Must Open Up More"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] Park Byeong-seok, Speaker of the National Assembly, who is visiting China to attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics, stated on the 4th, "I hope China will open up more to cultural exchanges."

In an interview with Chinese media such as the People's Daily on the same day, Speaker Park said, "For the bilateral relationship to leap into a new phase, the friendly sentiment of the people is extremely important," according to a press release from the National Assembly.

Speaker Park said, "There is a severe imbalance in the degree of openness in cultural exchanges between Korea and China. I hope China will open up more to cultural exchanges," adding, "There needs to be a groundbreaking exchange in cultural content exchanges." He continued, "Korea and China are now close neighbors and important cooperation partners," and added, "One thing we want to emphasize is that unnecessary misunderstandings should not damage the feelings between the two countries."

Speaker Park expressed, "I hope that the differences in culture and history will be mutually understood, and that an inclusive and cooperative relationship can be maintained."

Regarding cooperation in the health sector, Speaker Park said, "When COVID-19 occurred in China, South Korea was the only country that did not block the entry of Chinese nationals," and added, "I hope that this spirit, including guaranteeing the essential movement of businesspeople, will spread not only between the two countries but throughout the world."

Meanwhile, Speaker Park held a virtual meeting with representatives of the Korean community and businesspeople in China that afternoon. In a meeting with the President of the Korean Association in Beijing and the Chair of the Beijing Council of the National Unification Advisory Council, he stated, "Last year, trade with China reached an all-time high," and added, "We should actively utilize the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) when our companies enter the Chinese market."

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