QUẢNG NAM — Quảng Nam Province’s first-ever Korean Day Festival and Korean Film Week will take place from December 11 to 17 in Tam Kỳ City to mark the 25^th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Việt Nam and the Republic of Korea.  

The provincial Department of Information and Communication announced the plans late last week.

The film week will introduce Korean films at the provincial culture centre in Tam Kỳ City and an exhibition of photos and books on the land and people of Korea and Quảng Nam Province will open at the city’s March 24^th Square on December 15.

On the occasion, the province and the Korean Culture Centre in Việt Nam will sign a Memorandum of Understanding on Culture for promoting exchange between Korean people and locals of the province in the coming years.

Representatives of new villages that have implemented the Korean Saemaul Udong model, or New Community Movement, will share their experiences in rural development with locals from Quảng Nam Province.

December 15 will also see a series of events, including a student cultural exchange and community event at the murals village of Tam Thanh, 7km from Tam Kỳ City. Korean businesses that have made big contributions to the province over the past 20 years will be honoured and a joint cultural performance will feature Korean arts troupes and Vietnamese artists. 

A business meeting and field trip for Korean investors will be held at the Chu Lai-Trường Hải Industrial Complex in Núi Thành District and industrial zones the next day.

On this occasion, Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm High School and Dongduk Women’s University will sign a Memorandum of Understanding on education co-operation.

Many cultural activities have been held between cities from South Korea and Quảng Nam Province in recent years.

In June, the art troupe of Hahoe Folk village – a UNESCO-recognised world heritage site in South Korea — and the Nan-Gye troupe performed mask dances in Hội An during the sixth Quảng Nam Heritage Festival.

Last month, the International Mask Arts & Culture Organisation (IMACO) and Andong City signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Hội An in promoting cultural exchange in the coming years. 

In 2015, the province’s Nam Trà My District and Hamyang County in South Korea also affirmed efforts to work together on tourism, agriculture, conservation and the development of Ngọc Linh ginseng (Panax vietnamensis or Vietnamese ginseng). — VNS