The Value and Beauty of Hangeul Also Attract Attention Overseas

Cultural Events at 31 Overseas Korean Cultural Centers

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on the 7th that thirty-one Korean Cultural Centers overseas will hold cultural events to promote the value and beauty of Hangeul in celebration of Hangeul Day. Choi Bo-geun, Director of the International Cultural Promotion Policy Office, said, "It is an event where many people around the world can experience the beauty of Hangeul, the Korean language, and Korean culture," adding, "We hope our language and script will spread widely."

The Korean Cultural Center in France will present a musical performance titled "The Meeting of King Sejong and Guillaume Machaut." Composer Kim Dae-sung created this work inspired by King Sejong, who organized court music (Aak), and French composer Guillaume de Machaut. The piece combines Eastern pentatonic melodies with Western polyphony. Kim is a leading Korean fusion musician known for performing Western compositions with traditional Korean instruments.

The Korean Cultural Center in Belgium and the European Union will showcase the National Changgeuk Company's performance "Teacher To Goes to the Dragon Palace." This is a condensed version of the original 4-hour "Sugungga," one of the five pansori masterpieces, shortened to about 80 minutes. A Ministry of Culture official explained, "It exquisitely blends traditional melodies and the beauty of the Korean language."

Speaking and writing contests will also be held. The Korean Cultural Center in Los Angeles will host a Korean poetry recitation contest for Korean language learners aged 18 and older in the Americas. Last year's winner was Elizaveta Yanovskaya, an American of Ukrainian origin, who recited Han Yong-un's poem "Silence of My Beloved."

The Korean Cultural Center in Russia will also hold a similar Korean poetry recitation contest. Korean language learners from across Russia, who passed the preliminary round, will showcase their skills on the final stage.

Additionally, Korean speaking contests will be held in New York, USA; Vietnam; Spain; T?rkiye; and South Africa. In Tokyo, Japan; Shanghai, China; Australia; Thailand; the Philippines; Egypt; Austria; Poland; and Italy, calligraphy and beautiful handwriting experiences and contests will take place, while a Korean language debate will be held in Brazil.

Book fairs and Hangeul cultural product exhibitions promoting Korean literature will also be organized. The Korean Cultural Center in Indonesia will hold a book fair titled "K-Book Riding the Metaverse," introducing Korean literature books translated and published locally in detail. The Korean Cultural Center in Shanghai will hold a special exhibition of Hangeul cultural products, showcasing thirty-seven types of cultural products designed with Hangeul to highlight their aesthetic value.

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