K-Fellowship invites 11 arts, literature figures for cultural exchange

By Lee Gyu-lee

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is inviting 14 key figures in the performing arts and literature fields from 11 countries to join its fellowship program in Korea as part of the nation's efforts to enhance international recognition of Korean culture and arts and promote the exchange of cultural and artistic institutions.

The ministry said Wednesday that it nominated 14 participants from around the world, including Germany, France, Hungary, the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom, to take part in the 17th K-Fellowship program from May to October.

Launched in 2009, the fellowship program has annually invited artists, cultural institution leaders and policymakers from major countries in which overseas Korean cultural centers are located. More than 200 notable figures have visited Korea through the program to expand their understanding of the country and strengthen their relationship with Korean cultural centers in their countries.

"The K-Fellowship program should be more than just formal meetings and cultural experiences with domestic institutions, but a starting point of hands-on interactions. We expect Korean cultural centers abroad to play a bridging role between invited guests and domestic cultural arts institutions to create continuous outcomes," said Kim Hyun-jun, director of the International Cultural Affairs Bureau at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

“The ministry will actively support the implementation of subsequent projects discussed through Korean cultural centers abroad.”

Artistic director Winrich Hopp of Germany’s Musikfest Berlin, one of the most prestigious classical music festivals in Europe, will visit Korea in July to discuss collaborations with Busan City Arts Companies and the Tongyeong International Music Foundation.

General director of the Opera Orchestre National Montpellier Occitanie, Valerie Chevalier, who was selected as one of the 100 most influential women in French culture in 2023, will visit the Busan International Dance Festival and Busan Cultural Foundation in June. Professor Roland Szentpali at Hungary’s Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music will visit the Jeju International Wind Ensemble Festival in August.

During the Seoul International Writers' Festival in September, literary experts, including Australia's Sydney Writers' Festival artistic director and the University of Iowa's International Writing Program director, will be invited.

This year, the ministry selected invitees based on recommendations from cultural and art festival organizations in the invitees' home countries, as well as from overseas Korean cultural centers.

“This approach enables local cultural arts institutions to meet top-tier figures from various countries through the ministry’s invitation, which was previously difficult due to cost or logistical constraints. Korean cultural centers abroad will collaborate to ensure these visits lead to substantive international exchange activities, not just one-time events,” the ministry said.