Little Prince House is the country's lone permanent exhibition hall on the eponymous short novel by French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupery. (Facility's official website)

By Charles Audouin

Little Prince House, a permanent exhibition hall themed on the classic short novel "The Little Prince" (1943) by French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupery (1900-44), opened on March 18 in Gamcheon Culture Village of Busan's Saha-gu District.

Commemorating the 140th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Korea and France, the venue is the first exhibition facility themed on the character in Korea officially sponsored and approved by the Antoine de Saint-Exupery Youth Foundation of France. Since its launch in 2008, the foundation conducts educational and cultural activities and offers humanitarian support for children and youth around the world.

Scenes from inside Little Prince House in Busan's Saha-gu District (Saha-gu Office)

Once a gallery for artists in the region, the four-story facility is now themed on the classic tale. An exhibition area there sheds light on the author, a media art zone features the desert and the rose, and another exhibition space highlights the protagonist's world.

A photo zone allows great snapshots of a sculpture of the Little Prince and the fox with Gamcheon Culture Village in the background.

Olivier d'Agay, chairman of the Antoine de Saint-Exupery Youth Foundation and the great-nephew of the author, on March 18 takes a photo at the first-floor exhibition hall of the Little Prince House in Busan's Saha-gu District. (Charles Audouin)

"There is a special love story between Koreans and the Little Prince," said Olivier d'Agay, chairman of the Antoine de Saint-Exupery Youth Foundation and the great-nephew of the author. "I think Korean readers love 'The Little Prince' because of its poetic beauty, philosophy and close relation with nature."

"Many people in Korea love 'The Little Prince,' and the Little Prince House built in Busan reflects this well."

The book has seen over 80 translations into Korean since the first in 1973.

"It is very meaningful that the Little Prince, a leading work of French literature, has found a new home in Korea, especially Busan," said Pierre Morcos, cultural attache at the French Embassy in Seoul. "This significant moment shows how deep and enduring cultural ties are between the two nations."

This statue of the Little Prince and the fox is on the roof of the Little Prince House in Gamcheon Culture Village in Busan's Saha-gu District. (Saha-gu Office)

Formed during the Korean War (1950-53) by refugees, the neighborhood of Gamcheon-dong in 2009 was selected for a public art project by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and has since emerged as a culture and arts village and leading tourist attraction. The sculpture of the character on the roof of the facility sports a panoramic view of the village, a must-visit spot for photo ops.

"Little Prince House exemplifies the localism tourism policy pursued by Busan," an official at Busan Metropolitan City said. "Over three million tourists visited Gamcheon Culture Village last year, showing Saha-gu District's crucial role in tourism in western Busan."

Little Prince House is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. More information is on its official website (https://www.littleprincehouse.kr/) in Korean, English, Chinese, Japanese and French.

caudouin@korea.kr