By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young
To commemorate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and the Philippines, the Diplomatic Journal and the UN Journal jointly organized a cultural exchange event with the Embassy of the Philippines in Seoul, Korea, from March 6-10.
An award ceremony for Korea-the Philippines cultural exchange exhibition held, along with the opening of the exhibition on the second floor of the Maru Art Center in Insa-dong, Seoul on March 6.
This was the first cultural exchange exhibition between Korea and the Philippines. The Philippines was the first ASEAN country and the fifth country in the world to establish diplomatic relations with Korea, and it was also the first Asian country to send 7,420 soldiers to the Korean War, the largest contingent of any Asian country.
Delivering a congratulatory message, Amb. Theresa Dizon-de Vega said, “The Philippines was the fifth country to recognize the Republic of Korea as sovereign nation on March 3, 1949. A year later, the Philippines was the first Asian country to send troops to help defend freedom and democracy on the Korean Peninsula during the Korean War.
“Among those who fought shoulder-to-shoulder with our Korean friends during that difficult chapter in history was the late former Philippine President Fidel Valdez Ramos, along with two other soldiers, Nicanor Jimenez and Ernesto Gidaya, who would one day become Philippine Ambassadors to Korea.”
The ambassador said, “Today, Philippines and Korea relations are robust and dynamic with cooperation and engagement across many fields---in defense, political-security, economic, cultural, education, labor, and people-to-people relations. We just signed a Free Trade Agreement late last year and are working on a strategic partnership. Korea remains the number one source of international visitors to the Philippines while Korea is fast-becoming a top tourist destination country for many Filipinos.
She added, “Through the exhibit featuring the works of Korea-based Filipino artist Fr. Jason Antiquera as well as visual renditions of some of the most beautiful sights in the Philippines and works by Korean artists, we are taking part in fostering even greater cultural exchanges through the universal language of art.”
Meanwhile, Lee Jon-young, Chairman of Damwha Media Group, said, “The exhibition aims to showcase the remarkable cultural development of Korea and the Philippines, and to exchange the creative worlds of contemporary artists from both countries.
“In particular, the exhibition is expected to play an important role in the center of civil cultural exchange between Korea and the Philippines by promoting the excellent traditional culture.”
Noting that the exhibition is featuring 10 works of art representing contemporary art and five tourism photographs from the Philippines, as well as 30 K-artists representing Korea, Chairman Lee said, “It will be a meaningful opportunity to gauge the development of contemporary art in various fields between the two countries.”
He also said, “As Korea and the Philippines are celebrating the 75th anniversary of their cooperation in the Asia-East Policy, this cultural exchange exhibition is designed to introduce artworks that showcase the dynamic culture between the two countries, where diverse peoples live together and share religion and culture.”
Commenting that Damwha Media Group, which organized and directed the exhibition, hopes to continue to promote cultural and artistic exchanges through foreign embassies in Korea in order to revitalize international exchanges, Chairman Lee said, “By inviting brilliant young artists to enjoy the art of Korean K-traditional culture, we hope that this event will not only improve the communication between the two countries, but also the cultural exchange between the two countries through the artworks of Korean and Filipino artists.”
Lee Chil-yong, chairman of the Imperial Family Crafts Association, also gave encouraging remarks at the prize –awarding ceremony.
