[Culture Interview] 'Melodies' Connecting the Steppe and the Korean Peninsula... A New Chapter in Korea-Mongolia Cultural Exchange

Ambassador Suhe Suhbold: "Thumbs Up for Korean Cultural Influence"
Ambassador An Jueun: "Taking On the Global Stage With a Genghis Khan Opera"

Introducing Mongolian Music at the 'World Sound Festival'
Large-Scale Mongolian Cultural Event Planned for October
'Visa Barriers' Remain a Challenge for Expanding Tourism and Exchange

"As the Cultural Ambassador of Mongolia, I want to produce a Korea-Mongolia joint opera featuring Genghis Khan as the protagonist and take it to the global stage." (An Jueun, Chair of the C-JeS Foundation)

"Through the opera, I hope it becomes widely known that Genghis Khan was not merely a conqueror, but a great ruler who supported religion, culture, and the arts." (Suhe Suhbold, Mongolian Ambassador to Korea)

Suhe Suvbold, Mongolian Ambassador to Korea (right), and An Jooeun, Mongolian Cultural Ambassador, are being interviewed by The Asia Business Daily at the Embassy in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yongjun

When Chairwoman An, the first foreigner ever appointed as Mongolia’s Cultural Ambassador, revealed her opera plan, Ambassador Suhbold expressed his strong support for the production. The two met on May 4 at the Embassy of Mongolia in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Ambassador Suhbold presented Ambassador An with her letter of appointment on April 17. This marks the first time the Mongolian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has appointed a foreign national as a cultural ambassador. The recent global spread of K-culture is cited as a key factor behind this unprecedented move.

Ambassador Suhbold explained that the K-culture phenomenon is also rapidly spreading in Mongolia. He noted, "Mongolians have a tendency to respect and embrace various cultures, but over the past 20 years, the influence of Korean culture has been especially prominent." He added, "These days, kimchi is a staple on Mongolian dining tables."

An Jueun has actively promoted cultural diplomacy through the arts as a professor in the Department of New Music at Dankook University and as an opera and musical director. She has led performances celebrating the 140th anniversary of Korea-Italy diplomatic relations and the 33rd anniversary of Korea-Kyrgyzstan ties, and last year, she directed ‘Aida’ at the ancient theater in Taormina, Sicily, Italy. At the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, she presented a concert marking the 35th anniversary of Korea-Mongolia diplomatic relations.

Ambassador Suhbold stated, "I was deeply impressed by the high-quality performances featuring Mongolian, Korean, and Italian vocalists," and emphasized, "Given her deep understanding of Mongolian culture, I hope she will serve as a bridge facilitating exchange between our two countries."

Suehe Suhbold, Ambassador of Mongolia to Korea, is being interviewed by The Asia Business Daily at the embassy in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yongjun

Chairwoman An remarked, "Mongolia is a highly developed country in terms of culture and the arts," and added, "I was especially struck by the dedicated opera theaters, which are rare in Korea." She explained, "At the Ulaanbaatar Theater, performances are held year-round except for about a month, and the system is so well established that productions like ‘Turandot’ and ‘La Traviata’ can be staged back-to-back." She continued, "Not only are there resident vocalists, but also a choir, orchestra, and ballet company all based in-house."

In contrast, in Korea, even venues labeled as opera theaters are mostly operated as multi-purpose performance halls. There are very few dedicated theaters with a constant production system. From the perspective of the vocal music community, it is an enviable environment. Chairwoman An said, "In terms of cultural and artistic infrastructure, I believe Mongolia is actually superior. There is much we can learn." Ambassador Suhbold introduced that there are nearly ten national theaters in Ulaanbaatar, including dedicated opera and traditional music theaters. This strong foundation has produced world-class vocalists, such as Enkhbatyn Amartuvshin.

Ambassador Suhbold attributed the competitiveness of Mongolian vocal music to the country’s nomadic culture. He explained, "Nomadic peoples have long valued harmony with nature and have expressed inspiration drawn from nature in unique ways." He continued, "This tradition has carried into vocal art, laying the groundwork for Mongolia to produce world-class opera singers." He also added, "Among Mongolians living a nomadic lifestyle in the countryside, it is difficult to find someone who cannot sing."

Chairwoman An described Mongolians as "a people who look to the sky." She meant that spending much time gazing at the sky for contemplation has fostered profound artistry.

On May 8, Chairwoman An is scheduled to introduce Mongolian traditional music at the 'World Sound Festival' at KBS Hall. She shared, "It will be a performance featuring Korean, Mongolian, Italian, and Kyrgyzstani artists," and added, "We are preparing a stage themed on the Silk Road, where diverse cultures will be connected."

An Jueun, Ambassador of Mongolia, is interviewed by The Asia Business Daily at the embassy in Yongsan District, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yongjun

Ambassador Suhbold is now in his second year living in Korea, having assumed his post in June 2024. He has frequently visited regional areas and met a wide range of people, and he was particularly impressed by local cultural revitalization policies and the deep-rooted presence of Buddhist culture. He also mentioned finding peace of mind during his visits to temples.

He especially named Sinheungsa Temple at Seoraksan as the most memorable place. He said, "The door leading to Geungnakbojeon is so low that everyone must bow to pass through," adding, "I felt a lesson in equality there, as everyone becomes equal before that door." He continued, "The history of exchange between our two countries is close to 1,000 years. I hope these exchanges will become even more active in the future." The Korean language was also highlighted as an important link. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations, demand for the Korean language has surged alongside an increase in people-to-people exchanges, prompting the establishment of the first King Sejong Institute in Ulaanbaatar in 2007.

Ambassador Suhbold said, "Currently, there are King Sejong Institutes operating at four institutions in Mongolia: Ulaanbaatar University, National University of Mongolia, Huree University of Information and Communication, and Mongolian University of Life Sciences. Each year, thousands of students study Korean at these institutes." According to the King Sejong Institute Foundation, there were 2,420 students enrolled at King Sejong Institutes in Mongolia last year.

With the spread of K-culture, the number of Mongolian tourists visiting Korea is also rapidly increasing. According to the Korea Tourism Organization, the number of Mongolian tourists visiting Korea last year was 166,901, a 17.6% increase from the previous year's 141,902. However, they still accounted for less than 1% of the total 18.94 million foreign visitors.

Ambassador Suhbold pointed out that visa issues are a major barrier to Mongolians visiting Korea. He said, "Mongolia allows Koreans to enter without a visa, but Mongolians must obtain a separate visa to visit Korea." He added, "It takes three to four weeks to get a visa, which hinders tourism growth." He continued, "If step-by-step visa waivers and group tourism policies are implemented, many more Mongolians will come to Korea."

Chairwoman An expressed her intention to further promote Mongolian culture and contribute to exchanges between the two countries. She said, "We are preparing a large-scale event in October where people can directly experience Mongolian culture, including a concert, photography and art exhibitions, and a ger experience." She added, "As cultural ambassador, I want to go beyond simple exchange and help both countries create content together and enter the global market."

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