K-wave AI News

Hello and welcome to your AI guide to the latest cultural updates from Korea.

Here's our top story.

For the first time, Korea is hosting the World Summit on Arts and Culture, a multilateral dialogue that brings together leading voices in global cultural policy.

Chair of the Arts Council Korea, Choung Byoung-gug, expressed hopes that the creative power of culture will resonate around the world, with the summit serving as a meaningful platform for shaping a shared global vision.

Under the theme "Shaping the Future of Arts and Culture," over a hundred speakers from 65 countries are taking part to explore cultural strategies in a rapidly evolving global environment.

Launched in Canada in 2000, the summit has become a flagship global event in the cultural sector. Korea was unanimously selected in 2023 as the first Asian country to host the summit.

The highlight event of the millennium-old Gangneung Danoje Festival, the 'Sintong Daegil Gilnori' parade, was held Thursday with great fanfare.

Celebrated as the pinnacle of Korean-style street parades, the Gilnori remains one of the most popular attractions of the festival, drawing more than 50,000 spectators each year.

This year's parade featured over 4,000 participants, showcasing a vibrant array of costumes and performances inspired by local folklore and distinct village traditions.

In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the festival's listing as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, members of the Inter-City Intangible Cultural Cooperation Network also joined the parade, underscoring the event's growing international significance.

The Danoje festival runs through June 3.

Korea's largest art fair, Kiaf Seoul, will be held alongside the globally renowned Frieze Seoul in September at COEX.

Running from September 3 to 6, Frieze Seoul will feature more than 120 galleries from over 30 countries, including major international exhibitors and leading galleries based in Korea.

Now in its fourth edition, this year's Frieze will see an especially strong presence of prominent Asian galleries.

Opening the same day and continuing through September 7, Kiaf Seoul will feature 176 galleries from 20 countries.

Anchored by its main section, Kiaf Galleries, the fair will also present Kiaf Plus, a dedicated platform for emerging artists, and a special exhibition titled "Reverse Cabinet," jointly curated by Korea and Japan marking 60 years of the two country's diplomatic normalization.

That's all from me. Stay tuned to the Kulture Wave.