The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on April 26 announced that Korean Cultural Centers (KCCs) abroad will hold exhibitions year-round to promote Korean culture. Shown are scenes on April 18 from the opening ceremony for the exhibition "Dance and Music of the Royal Banquet in Korea" at the KCC in Madrid, Spain. (KCC in Spain)

By Charles Audouin

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on April 26 announced that it will hold year-round exhibitions led by Korean Cultural Centers (KCCs) abroad to globally promote Korean culture.

KCCs in Spain and Austria and the National Gugak Center in Seoul from April have held "Dance and Music of the Royal Banquet in Korea," an exhibition of traditional dance and music by displaying scenes from royal banquets during the late Joseon Dynasty and leading traditional instruments and performance clothing.

The exhibition runs through June 7 at the KCC in Spain and through Aug. 30 at the KCC in Austria. The free event will move to other countries such as Belgium in the second half of the year.

The KCC in India from May to June will hold an exhibition of photos and videos on the culture of haenyeo (female divers) of Jeju Island.

KCCs will back the overseas expansion of private cultural and art organizations. For instance, "Hanbok, Reborn as Art," an exhibition hosted by Savina Museum of Contemporary Art in Seoul, will run in Kazakhstan from May to June. "Korean Craft: Yesterday and Today," hosted by the Sookmyung Women's University Museum in Seoul, will be held in Los Angeles from September to December.

Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Yong Ho Sung, who heads the ministry's International Cultural Affairs and Public Relations Office, said, "We will actively support KCCs to boost interest in K-culture beyond K-pop and K-dramas to more diverse sectors like traditional and lifestyle culture and the Korean language."

caudouin@korea.kr