1. The “Gangwon cultural arts education team,” one of the Foreign Ministry’s people-participated public diplomacy teams, visited the “Jules Verne de Brou” public elementary school in Brou, France, from November 11 till 18, and carried out a “2017 exchange project on cultural arts education with a UNESCO associated school,” drawing participation of some 120 students of the school.

° The project has been organized to promote, through classes and hands-on activities for Korean and French children, the Republic of Korea and the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

2. For the project, Korean and French students were offered classes on traditional Korean games and arts, such as those for singing along “Arirang,” a signature folk song of Korea, making naturally dyed scarves and kites, and playing the bamboo flute. The French children enjoyed traditional Korean games outdoors, while the Korean kids experienced and learned about the local culture, including traditional handicraft and cooking.

3. Nine young Korean participants in the project delivered a presentation on the PyeongChang Winter Olympics and traditional culture of Korea. In particular, the “beauty and beast” musical, staged on the last day of the project, served as an opportunity to share with officials of the French school and children’s parents the outcome of the exchange project.

° A Korean fifth-grade participant in the exchange project commented on it, saying, “It served as an opportunity for Korean and French students to learn about and understand cultures of the two countries. I hope that it also led French people to take a keener interest in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, which the ROK will host.”

4. The Foreign Ministry is conducting a variety of people-participated public diplomacy projects. Going forward, it will actively carry out cultural diplomacy with people’s original ideas reflected in it.


* unofficial translation