The Korea Heritage Service (KHS) is part of an official development assistance project in cultural heritage ending next year to restore and maintain the northeast pedestal of the central sanctuary Bakan at the Buddhist temple Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia. (KHS) (KHS)
By Lee Dasom
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Aug. 8 said it will host a policy forum on on Aug. 12 on official development assistance (ODA) policy toward culture, sports and tourism at the National Library of Korea in Seoul to mark the 20th anniversary of cultural ODA.
Held under the theme "New Leap Toward Sustainable International Development Cooperation," the forum will reflect on the accomplishments of cultural ODA projects promoted by the ministry since 2005 and discuss future ODA strategies and institutional directions for such ventures.
The forum will feature three sections: international strategies for cultural ODA, on-site solutions and institutional plans.
The first section will delve into the status of cultural ODA and formulation of global strategies, exploring the development process and discussing the future.
The second will have experts from think tanks like the Korea Development Institute, Science and Technology Policy Institute, and Korea Institute of Public Administration discuss improving project structures and strategy design based on demand, focusing on design of cultural ODA projects and field implementation models.
The last section will evaluate cultural ODA results and plans for each stage of cultural ODA's institutionalization.
Based on the forum's results, the ministry will continue global cooperation through such aid by devising related strategies linking cultural ODA to Korean culture for the sustainable development of beneficiary countries.
Kim Hyun Jun, director-general of the ministry's International Cultural Affairs Policy Division, said, "The ministry plans to further systematically advance cultural ODA through a strategic approach that utilizes K-culture, our national cultural asset, and boost Korea's international standing."
dlektha0319@korea.kr