Gyeongbuk Andong Selected as '2026 East Asian Cultural City'
Promoting Cultural Exchange Projects
with East Asia Cultural Cities of China and Japan
Andong City in Gyeongbuk has been selected as the '2026 East Asia Cultural City,' the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on the 18th.
The Ministry explained that on the 11th, it held the East Asia Cultural City selection committee meeting and made this decision.
According to the agreement at the 4th Korea-China-Japan Cultural Ministers' Meeting (2012), the three countries?Korea, China, and Japan?have been selecting cities with unique regional cultures as East Asia Cultural Cities annually since 2014, promoting various cultural exchanges and cooperative projects. The 2025 East Asia Cultural Cities include Anseong in Korea, Kamakura in Japan, and Macau and Huzhou in China.
Under the slogan "Andong, where peace stays and hearts rest," Andong City plans to organize cultural events and exchanges throughout 2026 with the East Asia Cultural Cities of China and Japan, based on local cultures such as humanistic spiritual culture. Along with opening and closing cultural events, various cultural exchange and cooperation programs will be promoted, including the East Asia Humanistic Values Forum, East Asia Mask Exhibition and Experience, Korea-China-Japan Youth Humanities and Arts Camp for Climate Crisis Response, East Asia Traditional and Contemporary Music Exchange Festival, and East Asia Paper and Script Biennale. These will be linked with local cultural projects to establish a sustainable foundation for cultural exchange.
Korea was the first to select the 2026 East Asia Cultural City. China and Japan will also select their 2026 East Asia Cultural Cities before the 16th Korea-China-Japan Cultural Ministers' Meeting scheduled to be held in China this year and officially announce them at the meeting.
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Kim Hyun-jun, Director of International Cultural Policy at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said, "Andong City in Gyeongbuk holds various world heritage sites such as Hahoe Village and Dosan Seowon, and is rich in unique and original stories and cultural arts content like the Hahoe Byeolsingut Talnori mask dance drama. Through various cultural exchange and cooperation projects among the East Asia Cultural Cities of Korea, China, and Japan, we will actively support mutual respect and understanding of each other's cultures and help each region become a hub for cultural exchange to expand international exchanges."
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