GANGWON-DO < invest Korea

(SEOUL=Yonhap News) The South Korean government on Thursday unveiled more detailed cultural programs that will take place in the run up to and during the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, as part of efforts to offer visitors more culturally diverse and rich experiences.

The 2018 Cultural Olympiad Guide has been drawn up with three basic ideas in mind -- practicality, participation and sustainability -- art director In Jae-jin said at a press briefing in downtown Seoul.

"When we considered preparing programs, three things came to my mind. First, we needed to make the most out of existing things. Second, we hoped more people, especially young people, to participate. And lastly, we wanted to leave a lasting legacy even after the Olympics," he said.

In was appointed in April to oversee the Cultural Olympiad. He is a professor at Howon University in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, and director of annual Jarasum International Jazz Festival, one of the most successful and highly attended local music festivals.


The image provided by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism shows the emblem of the 2018 Cultural Olympiad Guide. (Yonhap)

At the publicity event, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism also unveiled the pink emblem of the Cultural Olympiad, which was created based on a consonant of the Korean alphabet hanguel that looks like a quadrangle and is called "mieum." The consonant forms part of the letter munhwa, or culture in English, and the emblem symbolizes blossoming cultural exchanges through the Olympics, the ministry said.

At the briefing, detailed programs, some 150 in total, were laid out by each of the six directors in attendance.

For three days starting this Friday, JazzPresso Festival will open in 15 coffee shops in Gangneung, a southeastern seaside city known for its local cafe culture, an event In expects to become a cultural fixture in the city even after the Olympics end.

Also PyeongChang Music Festival has been running since Tuesday at the concert hall of Alpensia Resort in the host city of PyeongChang. Some of the concert programs will feature performances by Japanese and Chinese musicians to celebrate that the three neighboring countries have hosted international sports events in recent years.


Art directors of the 2018 Cultural Olympiad Guide listen to a reporter's question at a press briefing in Seoul on July 20, 2017. (Yonhap)

"Korea has a lot of good festivals already. We wanted to use the exciting ones, like Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival, and instill Olympics spirits into those cultural events," In said.

The "World Culture Collage" program in October and November will invite foreign diplomatic missions in Korea to introduce their unique culture and artists to Koreans to enhance mutual understanding.

And a special art residency program will bring in 23 artists from around the world in September who will live in the province and create performance and visual art pieces based on their local experiences. The final output will be made in public in October.

Given the harsh winter weather in Gangwon Province where the temperature dips to as low as minus 20 degree Celsius, the organizer said it was considering various measures to fight the extreme cold and minimize outdoor events and performances.

The Winter Olympics take place in three cities -- PyeongChang, Gangneung, Jeongseon -- on Feb. 9-25 and the Paralympics run March 9-18.


This photo, provided by the organizing committee for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics on Feb. 10, 2017, shows the Yongpyeong Alpine Center for the international winter event in the alpine town, 182 kilometers east of Seoul. (Yonhap)

By Woo Jae-yeon

jaeyeon.woo@yna.co.kr

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Source: Yonhap News (Jul. 20, 2017)