Erno Rubik, the Hungarian architect who invented the mechanical puzzle Rubik's Cube, will visit Seoul from Sept. 22 to 28 on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Hungary and Korea.
The Korea Foundation, together with the Hungarian Embassy in Seoul, made the invitation.
It will be the first time that the Cube inventor has visited the country, where the cube's popularity remains strong.
His visit is expected to contribute to boosting cultural exchanges between the two countries. Korea has sought to host an international cube exhibition. Cube fairs will be held in Europe and Japan in 2010 and 2011.
Prof. Rubik invented the 3x3x3 cube in 1974. It was a hit in Hungary, selling almost 100 million. Overseas sales began in the 1980s. Nearly 350 million cubes have been sold worldwide, and almost 40,000 entries on Youtube feature tutorials and video clips of quick solutions.
In Korea, the cube's popularity slowed after reaching its peak in the '80s, but picked up again at the turn of the century supported by the Internet.