Significance of inter-Korean cultural exchanges and prospects for future
- 6 years ago
The South Korean art troupe to North Korea have completed their four-day trip to Pyongyang,... returning to Seoul early this morning.
The first such concerts held in 13 years held great significance and opened doors for more inter-Korean exchanges in the future.
Lee Ji-won has more.
Inter-Korean cultural exchanges stretch back to 1985, when Seoul and Pyongyang held performances on the sidelines of the first reunion of war-torn families.
Since then, the two Koreas engaged in several cultural and sport exchanges, until the early 2000s, either to pave the way for a major diplomatic breakthrough that led to the thawing of ties or to further underscore and celebrate the peaceful mood in the region.
After several years of increasingly frosty relations, the PyeongChang Winter Olympics in South Korea provided the optimal backdrop to resume exchanges.
And, according to experts, the latest South Korean performance in Pyongyang holds even more meaning, not only because it was the first in 13 years,... but from the way it was arranged.
"This time, it all happened very swiftly, without the South Korean artists having to change their lyrics or anything. It shows how much both sides are trying to understand each other and be considerate."
The resumption of inter-Korean cultural exchanges is expected to bring about a ripple-effect in other cultural aspects as well.
South Korea's culture minister Do Jong-whan, who led the South Korean art troupe to the North, said he hopes to resume numerous joint-projects, including the excavation of the ancient-Korean dynasty's Manwoldae Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site, in the North's Kaesong city, and the compilation of unified Korean language for the dictionary, Gyeoremal-keunsajun.
Both projects had been running for about ten years, until they were halted in 2015.
"Previously, there have been various ministerial level meetings following the inter-Korean summit, discussing specific ways to develop the relationship. So hopefully after April's summit, these cultural exchanges and joint-projects could be part of their talks."
Experts say the South Korean government should work with North Korea to set up an environment to make these exchanges more stable so they are not merely a way to breakthrough tense situations but a genuine opportunity for Koreans on both sides of the border to understand each other better.
But some experts say these wide-array of cultural exchanges need to be taken step by step.
"The differences are still so huge. Overwhelming the public with each others' culture could backfire and make people feel more distant from one another. Thus, along with carrying out cultural exchanges, the government should also help people understand North Korea and its culture."
After more than a decade of escalating tensions and a widening gulf between the two sides, Seoul and Pyongyang are once again utilizing inter-Korean cultural exchanges to narrow differences and work toward
The first such concerts held in 13 years held great significance and opened doors for more inter-Korean exchanges in the future.
Lee Ji-won has more.
Inter-Korean cultural exchanges stretch back to 1985, when Seoul and Pyongyang held performances on the sidelines of the first reunion of war-torn families.
Since then, the two Koreas engaged in several cultural and sport exchanges, until the early 2000s, either to pave the way for a major diplomatic breakthrough that led to the thawing of ties or to further underscore and celebrate the peaceful mood in the region.
After several years of increasingly frosty relations, the PyeongChang Winter Olympics in South Korea provided the optimal backdrop to resume exchanges.
And, according to experts, the latest South Korean performance in Pyongyang holds even more meaning, not only because it was the first in 13 years,... but from the way it was arranged.
"This time, it all happened very swiftly, without the South Korean artists having to change their lyrics or anything. It shows how much both sides are trying to understand each other and be considerate."
The resumption of inter-Korean cultural exchanges is expected to bring about a ripple-effect in other cultural aspects as well.
South Korea's culture minister Do Jong-whan, who led the South Korean art troupe to the North, said he hopes to resume numerous joint-projects, including the excavation of the ancient-Korean dynasty's Manwoldae Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site, in the North's Kaesong city, and the compilation of unified Korean language for the dictionary, Gyeoremal-keunsajun.
Both projects had been running for about ten years, until they were halted in 2015.
"Previously, there have been various ministerial level meetings following the inter-Korean summit, discussing specific ways to develop the relationship. So hopefully after April's summit, these cultural exchanges and joint-projects could be part of their talks."
Experts say the South Korean government should work with North Korea to set up an environment to make these exchanges more stable so they are not merely a way to breakthrough tense situations but a genuine opportunity for Koreans on both sides of the border to understand each other better.
But some experts say these wide-array of cultural exchanges need to be taken step by step.
"The differences are still so huge. Overwhelming the public with each others' culture could backfire and make people feel more distant from one another. Thus, along with carrying out cultural exchanges, the government should also help people understand North Korea and its culture."
After more than a decade of escalating tensions and a widening gulf between the two sides, Seoul and Pyongyang are once again utilizing inter-Korean cultural exchanges to narrow differences and work toward