Korean is the official invited language for next year's Avignon Festival of France, the world's largest event for the performing Arts. Shown are the festival's artistic director Tiago Rodrigues (left); Kim Jang-ho (second from left), president of the Korea Arts Management Service (KAMS); and representatives from the Seoul Performing Arts Festival in Avignon in France. (KAMS)

By Yoon Sojung

The Avignon Festival of France, the world's largest event for the performing arts, has selected Korean as the official invited language for next year's edition.

The festival' organizing committee on July 22 made the announcement on its official Facebook page, saying, "After English, Spanish and Arabic, the Avignon Festival hosts an Asian language that radiates around the world."

"South Korean culture fascinates the planet: K-pop, cinema, series, literature... But beyond this soft power, we want to reveal the richness of Korean performing arts."

Earlier on July 21 in Avignon, festival director Tiago Rodrigues held a signing ceremony for the agreement with Korea Arts Management Service (KAMS) President Kim Jang Ho and Choi Kyu, artistic director of the Seoul Performing Arts Festival. KAMS concluded the accord as the official partner institution of the French festival's invited language program.

"This is the first language from the Asian region and the first from a monoethnic country to get the designation," KAMS said, calling it "a meaningful outcome that can assess the international status of Korean performing arts."

Launched under the leadership of French actor and director Jean Vilar in 1947, the Avignon Festival is Europe's biggest event of its kind. It attracts over 100,000 people every year, and artists consider the event a gateway to the world stage.

The festival's invited language program highlights the arts and culture of the selected tongue. It was introduced by Rodrigues as a project and has featured English (2023), Spanish (2024) and Arabic (2025) in the past.

KAMS plans projects to promote Korean performing arts at next year's festival. It will prepare official invitations for works of Korean theater, dance and performing arts; collaborations in literature, cinema and visual arts; talks with artists and cultural forums; and a Korean pavilion under the theme of the identity of the Korean language.

KAMS said many Korean works will be invited to the official invitation program, the heart of the Avignon Festival. Unlike the "Off" program of voluntary participation, the invitation program requires strict screening by the organizing committee.

This will be the first time in 28 years for Korean works to be invited to the festival's official program since the "Desires of Asia" project in 1998.

arete@korea.kr