’Month of Czech Culture’ to deepen Korea-Czech ties

By Do Je-hae

Korea and the Czech Republic have enjoyed 21 years of warm diplomatic relations.

To deepen the friendship, the Central European country will launch a month-long cultural festival in Korea starting at the end of this month until the beginning of November.

The festival will feature more than 20 different events in 15 places in Seoul and will present theater and dance performances, classical music ensembles, musicals, a film festival, a visual arts exhibition and much more to the Korean public.

At the initiative of Ambassador of the Czech Republic Jaroslav Olsa Jr., the cultural promotion will be launched Friday under the title “Czech Points in Seoul” with a special performance of Czech dramatic masterpiece “The Makropulos Case”by Karel Capek at the National Theater of Korea.

The classic Czech fantasy comedy with a mysterious, almost detective-story plot will take the audience into the world of opera divas, degenerated aristocracy and the bourgeoisie. The piece is directed by Robert Wilson, the world-renowned U.S. director and set designer, who prepared this performance especially for the Czech National Theatre.

Koreans will have a chance to hear Emil Viklicky, the patriarch of Czech jazz piano, at the Jarasum Jazz Festival and at three other separate concerts in Seoul from Saturday until Oct. 4.

The Once in a Blue Moon, Moonglow and Chunnyun jazz clubs will host the concerts of the European contemporary jazz pianist and his trio.

The group is renowned for its incorporation of elements of Czech indigenous folk culture into modern jazz music, while combining elements of Bud Powell and Oscar Peterson with a deep infusion of Moravian soul.

The Czech Foreign Ministry will award medals to two Korean publishers during an award ceremony Thursday for their contribution to introducing Czech literature to local readers.

Vice Minister of Culture of the Czech Republic Radek Zdrahal will officiate the ceremony at the Czech Information Center in Mapo, Seoul, for Hong Ji-woong, CEO of Open Books, and Lim Hyung-uk, poet and CEO of Happy Reading Books.

Starting Friday, an artistic homage to the Czech Republic capital Prague will be given in an exhibition of the best works from the book “Three Golden Keys” by Czech-born U.S. illustrator Peter Sis at the Czech Information Center. The exhibition will run until Oct. 27.

In addition, an international conference of experts on Czech and other Central East European culture, literature and history will be organized by the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of establishment of its East European and Balkan Institute.

For more information and an electronic leaflet on the month of Czech culture, visit https://www.mzv.cz/seoul/en.