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(SEOUL=Yonhap News) A variety of state-supported cultural programs will go on stage beginning this month to build a festive mood in the runup to next year's Winter Olympics in South Korea's eastern alpine town of PyeongChang, the government said Thursday.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has chosen 18 cultural arts events in the fields of dance, music, visual arts and traditional culture as official PyeongChang promotional programs for this year after receiving applications for two months. Those selected will receive financial support from state coffers, as well as the certification mark for being a government-approved event for the upcoming Olympics.
The year-round performance schedule will begin with "Arirang Ara Ri Yo," a performance of the immortal Korean folk song of Arirang, combining all different genres, such as chorus, ballet and contemporary dance, as well as traditional Korean dance and music. The show is set to open at Seoul's Mapo Art Center on Thursday night.
On Nov. 1, there will be a performance of traditional Korean court music at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul to mark 100 days before the opening of the 2018 Winter Olympics.
Some events will be held in foreign countries or involve foreign artists.
Traditional Korean musicians will collaborate with local orchestras in the "Connected Winter to Summer" concert series set to be held in traditional winter sports strongholds -- Russia in June, the Czech Republic in August and Finland in September.
Fifteen young artists from countries to participate in the Olympics and five Korean artists will stay and work together in PyeongChang for a month in September.
"We hope participation by artists with various and creative ideas will serve as a catalyst to create a festive mood for the PyeongChang Olympics," a ministry official said.
The international sports events are set to be staged in the town, located some 180 kilometers east of Seoul, and the nearby cities of Gangneung and Jeongseon in Gangwon Province from Feb. 9 to 25 next year.
sshim@yna.co.kr
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Source: Yonhap News (Apr. 6, 2017)