Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Kim Jongdeok (second from left) and Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport John Whittingdale (third from left) discuss further partnerships in the creative industries between the two countries during the second Korea-U.K. Creative Industries Forum on March 7 in London.
Korea and the U.K. have discussed further partnerships in the creative industries and have agreed to expand the number of such exchanges during the “Year of Korea-U.K. Partnership” that has been declared for 2017 and 2018.
The second Korea-U.K. Creative Industries Forum is a venue where the two sides can share information, expand partnerships in the private sector and seek out new markets, and was held in London on March 7. Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Kim Jongdeok and Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport John Whittingdale attended the forum and signed a joint statement that promises continuous partnerships in a variety of fields, including the arts, education and sports.
Minister Kim Jongdeok and Secretary John Whittingdale pose for a picture after signing a joint statement that covers Korea-U.K. partnerships in the creative industries, on March 7 in London.
The two government officials first agreed to designate 2017 and 2018 as the “Year of Korea-U.K. Partnership.” During that period, partnerships in the arts will be expanded, they said, through joint stage productions and the discovery of new talent, all funded by a joint art fund. They also discussed details of specific development projects.
In preparation for the coming PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics, the two parties agreed to learn from London’s experience hosting the 2012 Summer Olympics. From the opening and closing ceremonies through to the after-management of the stadiums, the London summer Olympics is considered to be one of the most successful recent Olympics. More partnerships between startups from Seoul’s Culture and Creative Venture Complex and from London’s Tech City were also discussed, along with new areas of growth, such as video games and visual effects (VFX), on which the two parties can collaborate.
Minister Kim Jongdeok delivers his opening remarks during the second Korea-U.K. Creative Industries Forum in London on March 7.
Korean and U.K. agencies covering five industries — fashion, craftworks, films, broadcasting and the arts –signed MOUs and developed their business networks at the forum, where presenters who were heads of their companies talked about the information they have about each industry.
By Chang Iou-chung
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photos: Jeon So-hyang, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism
icchang@korea.kr
Participants in the forum’s fashion show don works created by young Korean fashion designers (top) and pose for a picture with Minister Kim Jongdeok (bottom) at the Korea-U.K. Creative Industries Forum on March 7 in London.
