By Kim Se-jeong
Staff Reporter
Last week when the European continent was debating national priorities against common interests after the parliamentary elections, foreign missions of the European Union (EU) in Korea were doing the opposite.
Eight member states of the EU in Korea came together last Tuesday to launch "European Union National Institutes for Culture (EUNIC)" a voluntary partnership in spreading European culture here.
Representatives from four big cultural entities - the British Council, the French Cultural Center, the Goethe Institut Korea and the Italian Cultural Institute - and four other embassies signed an agreement to collaborate on presenting Europe "en masse" to the Korean audience, at Castle Praha, a Czech restaurant in Seoul.
Ambassador Jaroslav J. Olsa of the Czech Republic, which currently holds the presidency of the EU, congratulated the launch of the EUNIC Seoul cluster, which "is important to show the real diversity of culture and common things of Europe."
Director Raimund Wordemann of the Goethe Institut echoed the Czech envoy, saying EUNIC would give an opportunity "to present us as Europe and to make it understandable what it means to be European."
EUNIC has 30 locations worldwide, mostly in Europe and North America. The Seoul cluster is the fourth to open in Asia after New Delhi, Tokyo and Beijing, Olsa said.
Italian Cultural Institute director Lucio Izzo will serve as president of the EUNIC the first year.
The question arises how much EUNIC can make equal presentation of the region in a country where the European presence is known to be selective and lacking in depth, and dominated by a few big countries.
Also, how enthusiastic the leading four cultural entities get about the idea?
Wordemann, who has led the institute for the past six months, said the institute itself had the willingness to participate, as did the German government, which showed support for the idea of presenting the country as a part of the EU.
The work of the Goethe Institute will continue separately.
Ambassador Olsa, who dedicated the last one year in putting Czech culture out on the map in Korea, said, "France, Germany, Italy and the U.K. have their big presence. In a way, they don't need such a thing, but they are committed to the idea of one Europe, which is good for them as well."
For mid-sized countries like the Czech Republic, he added, EUNIC would be a useful venue to spread their culture. "It will give a chance for small countries to present themselves, for instance in a big exhibition jointly organized by Germany and French with additional things from small countries."
Initial participants include the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Two more countries will likely join in a month or two, leaving still 17 EU missions behind.
Koreans will be able to see the work of the EUNIC starting this fall during the Busan International Film Festival. Aside from participation on a national level, the EUNIC will organize "EUNIC Night." It will also have a presence at the Seoul Design Olympics scheduled for this fall.