The Korean Cultural Center in Hungary launched its first series of lectures on cultural theory this April, which looked behind the increasingly popular Korean cultural phenomena in an accessible, critical and experiential way. We tried to understand the topics of the Korean Salon with the help of invited experts. The initiative aimed to provide a community experience for those interested in Korean culture. 

In previous Salon events, we explored the Korean phenomenon from different angles. We looked at the cultural history of the Korean folk song arirang, the musical secrets of the world-conquering K-pop, and the impact of the meeting of Confucianism and consumerism. This year's closing performance attempted to provide a new and exciting answer to the fundamental question posed at the beginning of the Salon: What is Koreaness?  On 27 November, a lecture by Ramon Pacheco Pardo was held in the CEU (Central European University) Nádor Event Center about the unique phenomenon of Korea.

Ramon Pacheco Pardo, who is Professor of International Relations at King’s College London and the KF-VUB Korea Chair at the Brussels School of Governance of Vrije Universiteit Brussel. He is also King's Regional Envoy for East and South East Asia, helping to shape and implement the university's strategy for the region. He is the writer of the book ‘Shrimp to Whale: South Korea from the Forgotten War to K-Pop’ published in 2022, and co-author of the book titled ‘Korea: A New History of South and North’ published in 2023.

The Korean Cultural Center in Hungary aims to continue the series of lectures in 2024.