Korean to win French medal for cultural exchanges

Lee Mi-a, president of Echo de la Coree

By Kwon Ji-youn

The president of a Korea-France cultural exchange organization will receive a medal of meritorious service from the French Ministry for Culture and Communication, the ministry said Thursday.

Lee Mi-a, president of Echo de la Coree, will be awarded the Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters (Chevalier dans l’ordre des Arts et Lettres) on July 4.

Former France President Valery Giscard d’Estaing will present the medal to Lee, according to the ministry.

“I am pleased to have had my efforts in introducing Korean culture to the French recognized,” Lee said. “I will continue to work to promote cultural exchanges between the two countries.”

It is an unprecedented move, for the order is usually awarded to active artists. Korean winners include world-renowned conductor Chung Myung-whun, actress Yoon Jung-hee and jazz singer Nah Yoon-sun.

Lee, 45, has been introducing Korean culture, including an opera version of “Chunhyang” and a concert by Korea's favorite “popera” (operatic pop) tenor Lim Hyung-joo, to the French since the late 1990s.

She also planned the collaboration of a Korean vocal ensemble with a French orchestra, and a performance by a group of Korean disabled artists.

Lee, who received her master’s degree from the University of Paris Dauphine in cultural arts, is especially acknowledged for having planned successful events to celebrate 120 years of diplomatic relations between France and Korea in 2006.