Korea’s cultural ‘Davos’ CCF to start Sept.1

Participants try out Korean traditional cuisine at Si.Wha.Dam Seoul, in this Sept. 6, 2012 file photo. / Courtesy of Corea Image and Communication Institute

 

Choi Jung-wha President of Corea Image and Communication Institute

James Suckling Wine expert

Jair Oliveiria Brazil’s foremost samba and jazz musician

Gabrielle Trainor, chairman of Australia’s National Film and Sound Archive

Actor and director Park Joong-hoon

By Kim Ji-soo

Culture has a special place in the Park Geun-hye administration. In her inaugural address, she put emphasis on achieving “cultural flourishing,” and a government-supported panel on cultural flourishing has been launched as well. It’s a timely acknowledgement of the rise of Korean culture and the popularity of “hallyu” or Korean wave.

“There is a lot of anticipation, more so with this year’s Culture and Communication Forum (CCF). We are hoping to turn the CCF 2013 into a stepping stone for cultural flourishing,” said Choi Jung-wha, president of Corea Image and Communication Institute (CICI). Choi is also the president of the organizing committee for the CCF2013. James Bemowski is the vice president of the organizing committee.

The CICI will host the 2013 Culture and Communication Forum from Sept. 1 through Sept. 3 in Seoul under the theme: “Old vs. New:Presenting the case for traditional or modern culture—First Mover, Fast Follower.”

Choi has said in previous interviews that Korea stands both economically and culturally at a point where it must think whether it will continue to fast follow or move first.

“Also, I can feel the participants’ love for Korea deepen every year,” said Choi. “Some joked whether they would get to see Psy this year. I hope the CCF will help spark a deeper and broader interest in Korean culture for those whose interest first began with ‘hallyu.’”

To that end, before the day-long conference on Sept. 3 that will be held at Westin Chosun’s Lilac Room, participants will experience Korean royal cuisine with Han Bok-ryeo as well as contemporary Korean food with chef Kang Leo. They will also have a chance to experience Korean architecture as well as a variety of performances from around the world, from traditional Korean music performances such as “gugak” as well as Brazilian samba music.

The CCF 2013 will see the gathering of 16 specialists in the field of culture and arts from around the world. The event will be hosted by the CICI and supported by Samsung Electronics, Asiana Airlines and Pernod Ricard.

Participating in this year’s CCF are the top experts in music, film, literature and publishing, food and wine. The participants include the world-renowned wine expert James Suckling and Paolo de Maria, owner chef of Paolodemaria and La Taverna, Brazil’s foremost samba and jazz musician Jair Oliveiria, Mexico’s painter and choreographer Luis Arreguin, French writer and curator Ludovic Burel.

Heads of cultural bodies including Joachim Sartorius, head of the Goethe Institute will be attending the three-day event. Gabrielle Trainor, chairman of Australia’s National Film and Sound Archive, Natalia Sipovskaya, director of the State Institute of Art in Moscow, Helun Firat, managing partner of Cer Modern Center for Modern Arts in Turkey and Andrew Pettie, head of culture for the Daily Telegraph will also attend.

From Asia, leading figu­ res in field of fashion and performance have been invited. They are Tian Qinxin, director of the National Theater of China, Kazuko Umewaka, CEO of Umewawka International involved in Japanese traditional Noh productions, Archan Kapoor, publisher of Hard News and an independent filmmaker, and Lisa Mihardja, a batik designer from Indonesia will attend.

From Korea, actor and director Park Joong-hoon will partake in the forum.

Choi said that she is encouraged by the response that the participants show after the conference, where they will return to respective countries and take initiative in hosting Korean culture-related events such as “hansik” or the Korean food festival that was held in Mumbai and New Delhi in September 2011. That festival was the creation of Hemant Oberoi, executive chef at the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower in India who was a previous CCF participant.

In the days leading up to the main conference,they will visit Changdeok Palace, Institute of Korean Royal Cuisine, Leeum Museum and the Hyundai Card Design Library.

The CCF, in its fourth edition this year, was launched at the G20 Seoul Summit. Since then, it has established itself as the cultural and communication forum to promote Korea and Korean content overseas.

Source: The Korea Times News