By Kim Hyun-cheol
Staff Reporter
Making distinction has emerged as a head issue of late in the country’s culture-related industries on the grounds that low recognition is keeping more people outside Korea from embracing the country’s culture, let alone understanding and loving it.
More policymakers are rolling up their sleeves for better promotion of various disciplines in Korea’s traditional culture, as well as mixing its components into the modern trend here, as calls are rising on more supports from the government.
As part of such efforts, next month will see the third edition of the Korea Style Expo, a culture fair which inaugurated in 2006.
This year’s event, to be held at the COEX in southern Seoul and hosted by the the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Ministry of Land and Maritime Affairs, will display a variety of cultural products, goods and information in six categories of Korean traditional culture.
Korean style in six categories ? the Korean alphabet, traditional clothes, Korean cuisine, traditional houses, traditional papers and traditional music ? will be showcased from July 23 through July 26 to offer visitors to feel the bit of Korea’s culture with a modern kick.
At the 2009 Korea Style Expo, four sections will showcase what the Korean style is about in those six categories, under the theme of “Now, Here, We.” About 90 companies are expected to set up 350 booths during the fair, the organization committee of the exhibition expects.
The exhibition will also make an ideal place for participants to introduce products featuring Korean culture with outstanding quality and service to potential buyers from all over the world.
One-on-one business meetings will be prepared, as well as various promotional presentations, for both participating companies and visitors.
Aside from the business side, a slew of other programs are also expected to please non-business audience.
Programs include performances of traditional folk music, an experiencing event for manufacturing papers, as well as demonstration sessions of cooking Korean dishes.
In the food section, which will aim at showing advantages of Korean food and exploring its marketability in international markets, participants include Jeon-ju Bibimbap, a local franchise for the representative Korean rice dish, and Cheongdo Wine, a Korean maker of wine made of persimmon.
For more information, visit www.koreastyleexpo.com, the official Web page of the exhibition.