“Korea and India have many things in common in terms of history and culture and even both countries’ Independence Day falls on the same day, August 15. Let’s expand cultural exchanges and further solidify the cultural ties between our two countries.”

So said President Park Geun-hye as she inaugurated the Korean Handicraft Exhibition at the Red Fort, a fortified former palace located in the center of Delhi, India, on January 17 during her four-day state visit to India.

There, the president voiced the importance of “communication through culture.”


The Red Fort, a 254 acre palace founded in 1648 by the 5th Mughal emperor Shah Jahan (r. 1628-1657), is one of India’s most important cultural treasures and was even designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2007.

According to Cheong Wa Dae, President Park visited the Indian historical site, also known as a symbol of the nation’s independence from British rule in 1947, to pay her respects to and to show her interest in Indian culture. It was a step to enhance the two countries’ cultural ties as well.

Held in the Quarter Guard Gallery in the Red Fort, the handicraft exhibition showcased 49 art works by 22 Korean traditional and modern craftsmen. Korea’s artistic crafts were shared with the Indian visitors, including Kim Jeong-ok’s moon-shaped white porcelain jars, Kwon Young-jin’s lacquered boxes inlaid with mother-of-pearl, Han Seong-jae’s birch-made speakers and An Min-sik’s silver pots.



The show was attended by more than 40 people representing the culture and arts field from both Korea and India. Among the participants included Tara Gandhi, the president of the Mani Bhavan Gandhi Museum and granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948), Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) director general Pravin Srivastava, the Indian vice minister of culture and famous Korean craft artist Seo Young-hee.

Participating knotting and macramé artist Noh Mi-ja presented Tara Gandhi with a handcrafted bracelet while demonstrating how to do macramé, a form of textile-making using knots.

Noh said that her hope is that the already existing friendship between Korea and India will further be tied together like the knots of her handicrafts. In response, Gandhi said in Korean, “It’s so beautiful,” and put another one of her bracelets around President Park’s wrist.


Meanwhile, the first-ever Korean language audio guide for the Red Fort was inaugurated on the very day of Park’s visit.

“I’ve heard that there are a growing number of Korean tourists visiting this site. This audio service will definitely help them get a better understanding about Indian culture,” President Park hoped.




By Wi Tack-whan, Sohn JiAe
Korea.net Staff Writers
whan23@korea.kr