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| Culture Minister Hwang Hee speaks during a press conference at the Government Complex Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism |
By Kwak Yeon-soo
Culture Minister Hwang Hee said Tuesday he proposed holding a "Culture Olympics" to International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach during his visit to Beijing for the Winter Olympics.
Hwang said he presented Korea's proposal to the IOC head, citing three major reasons: first, it upholds the Olympic spirit of celebrating respect for cultural differences; second, the IOC can enhance its presence in the United Nations (UN) by expanding its scope of activities to the field of culture; finally, a Culture Olympics could have considerable social and economic benefits.
"I believe a Culture Olympics will help solidify Korea's status as a cultural powerhouse. The IOC agreed in principle, but raised questions about the plans for operation, including how the items would be divided into competitive or noncompetitive forms, and how scoring would work. We will discuss further details with the IOC in March, and if necessary, I will fly to Europe to give a presentation," he said during a press conference in Seoul, Tuesday, marking the one-year anniversary of his appointment.
Hwang also vowed to form an organizing committee consisting of relevant experts. He already consulted with former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the matter, who called it "a grandiose project."
"Compared with the traditional Olympics that draws about 100,000-200,000 people in attendance, a Culture Olympics could attract 1 to 2 million spectators," Hwang added.
The ministry also addressed the hanbok (traditional Korean attire) controversy at Beijing Olympics that sparked anti-Chinese sentiment in Korea. Hwang said he didn't think it was necessary to lodge an official complaint because the Chinese government acknowledged that hanbok is Korean. The neighboring country explained later that it meant to represent the Korean ethnic minority in China, "Joseonjok."
"I understand that this controversy could lead to misunderstanding in the good relations between the two countries. China is our biggest trading partner, and tourists from China account for almost a third of all travelers into Korea. Despite the deep economic ties, I became fretful after hearing about the hanbok-clad performer. So I wore hanbok to the opening ceremony as a silent protest," he said.
To avoid falling victim to cultural appropriation attempts, the ministry said that it will kick off an international campaign promoting Korea's traditional culture, including hanbok and kimchi.
"I think such disputes will go away if we strengthen our status as a cultural powerhouse. Korea has already developed into one of the world's top 10 economies and Korean cultural content is spreading all over the world. The government will give full-scale support to promote Korean culture."
