Often found at theaters and museums, Kwon Mee-yoo has covered a wide range of cultural fields from K-pop and dramas to theater and fine art for over a decade. Now as K-Culture Desk editor, she tries to connect Korean culture with global readers through fresh perspectives.
Embassy of Pakistan hosts photo exhibition to celebrate independence
Ambassador of Pakistan to Korea Nabeel Munir speaks during a photo exhibition at Cheonggyecheon Gwanggyo Gallery in central Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of the Embassy of Pakistan in Korea
By Kwon Mee-yoo
By Kwon Mee-yoo
The Embassy of Pakistan in Korea is presenting a series of photos as part of its celebrations to mark the 75th anniversary of Pakistan's independence.
The photo exhibition, held at the Cheonggyecheon Gwanggyo Gallery through Oct. 24, features a variety of photography showcasing Pakistan's natural and cultural heritage.
"After a long and difficult struggle, it was on 14 August 1947 that we were able to throw off the yolk of colonialism, and surface as an independent state," Pakistan Ambassador to Korea Nabeel Munir said during the exhibition's opening, Tuesday.
"Over the past 75 years, Pakistan has emerged as a strong, sovereign and self-confident country ― a country that has used its unique fusion of history and culture, its diversity and geography, its cuisine and people to create a nation that is on the march towards progress and prosperity,” he said.
The exhibition was originally planned for August on the occasion of Independence Day of Pakistan but it was postponed due to heavy rain in Seoul.
Ambassador Munir explained that Pakistan is a young nation with a millennia's worth of history. Pakistan is home to the Mehargarh, one of the world's oldest civilizations dating back to 7000 B.C., as well as the Indus Valley and the Gandhara civilizations, which left sites such as the Takht Bai and Taxila, now registered as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
"Boasting people of different cultures, languages, religions and ethnicities, Pakistan is a melting pot, in which traditions from diverse and far-off landscapes mix and mingle to create new identities," he said.
Ambassador of Pakistan to Korea Nabeel Munir gives a tour of a photo exhibition celebrating Pakistan's 75th anniversary of independence at Cheonggyecheon Gwanggyo Gallery in Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of the Embassy of Pakistan in Korea
Pakistan also has a rich multi-religious tradition from Kartarpur and Nankana Sahib for Sikhs to Katas Raj for Hindus as well as Buddhism.
"Buddhism spread to Korea and the rest of East Asia through the exploits of Monk Mararantha, who traveled from what is Pakistan today to the Kingdom of Baekje in Korea in 384 AD," the ambassador said.
The exhibit also sheds light on Pakistan's ethnic diversity, introducing the cultures of the Kalash ethnic group and the people of the Cholistan Desert.
Ambassador Munir hoped the exhibition will spark interest in tourism to Pakistan from Korea.
"The photos that we have assembled here today are just a sample of what Pakistan has to offer. It is just to whet your appetite. A picture indeed is worth a thousand words, yet it is nowhere even close to the real thing," he said.
"We hope this exhibition will inspire people of all walks of life in Korea to understand what the real Pakistan is like, and also to travel to Pakistan to experience it firsthand,” he said.