ARKO Global Week 2025 to foster international cultural exchange

Choung Byoung-gug, chairperson of the Arts Council of Korea, announces the state-run organization's new initiative, ARKO Global Week, during a press conference, Wednesday, at the Artist House in Seoul. Newsis

This month, Seoul is set to host the 10th World Summit on Arts and Culture, a major international gathering where cultural leaders and decision-makers come together to exchange ideas, debate pressing issues and shape the future of the creative sectors.

From May 27 to 30, more than 400 delegates from 80 countries will convene in the Korean capital to explore how the arts can respond to “challenges that humanity faces together, such as artificial intelligence, the climate crisis and the restoration of regional communities,” Choung Byoung-gug, chairperson of the Arts Council of Korea (ARKO), said at a press conference, Wednesday, at the Artist House in Seoul.

He added that this year’s summit represents an important milestone ahead of the UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development, known as MONDIACULT 2025, which will take place in Barcelona, Spain, this September.

The four-day event will feature a lineup of prominent speakers, including media artist Ayoung Kim, science fiction writer Chung Se-rang, OD Company president Shin Chun-soo and Ars Electronica co-CEO Gerfried Stocker.

Hosting the World Summit on Arts and Culture is part of ARKO’s broader initiative to deepen its international engagement, dubbed ARKO Global Week.

As the state-run body dedicated to advancing Korea’s arts and culture, ARKO must focus on building tangible connections between the country’s creative scene and the global stage, according to Choung.

“Today, Korea’s cultural presence stands at a level unimaginable in the past,” he said. “There’s growing interest [from international parties] to collaborate with Korea, yet the state support systems haven’t kept pace with enthusiasm. In response, we’ve redefined our strategic decision to better meet this moment.”

Accordingly, ARKO Global Week is sprinkled with events designed to strengthen ties between Korea’s creative sector and its international counterparts.

Among them is the fourth edition of the Artist, Producer, Engineer Camp (APE Camp), which returns from May 24 to 27 to foster collaboration among the next generation of industry professionals. This year’s program brings together 100 participants, including 35 from abroad.

Also on ARKO’s agenda is expanding support for Korean creators in overseas residency programs by forging stronger partnerships with leading global institutions.

This year, the state-run body has increased the number of partner organizations to 23 and broadened the range of disciplines, from a primary focus on visual art to literature, dance and music.

ARKO is also shifting focus toward expanding international exchange within Korea. The council plans to invite international artists to collaborate with local communities to explore the theme of rural depopulation through creative and culturally relevant projects.

In addition, as commissioner of the Korean Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, ARKO has stepped up its efforts to more fully situate the pavilion within the biennale’s wider context.

Titled “Little Toad, Little Toad: Unbuilding Pavilion,” the Korean Pavilion’s exhibition at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale reflects on the pavilion’s distinctive 30-year history while also contemplating its future in parallel with that of the biennale itself.