Ukrainian Culture Week Unfolds in South Korea
In the South Korean city of Pyeongtaek, from September 16th to 22nd, Ukrainian Culture Week is taking place, organized by the Pyeongtaek International Exchange Foundation with the support of the city's administration in cooperation with the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Korea.
The opening ceremony featured performances by artists from the Ukrainian community in Korea, the Ukrainian string quartet "Liberte," the Children's Choir of Pyeongtaek, and the Dance Society "Kalyna" from the University of Foreign Languages, Hanguk.
On the lawn next to the "Bedari" library, interactive stands were set up for conducting workshops on creating paper angels and bracelets in national colors. Additionally, for the first time in Korea, the International Marathon of Traveling Exhibitions "Formula of Peace in Ukrainian Children's Art" was presented.
The "Bedari" library implemented the "Ukrainian Bookshelf" project and hosted a photo exhibition about Ukraine, as well as an exhibition of drawings by Ukrainian children who participated in the International Art Festival "MALYUY.UA.WAR."
On September 21st, an Ukrainian cooking workshop will also take place at the Pengsong International Exchange Center.
This festival is organized not only for Koreans who wish to get closer to Ukrainian culture but also for Ukrainians living in South Korea. As of 2016, there were 2,485 Ukrainian citizens permanently or temporarily residing in the Republic of Korea, including 230 citizens registered at the Ukrainian Embassy. Most of them reside in major cities, primarily Seoul.
It is worth noting that South Korea has announced a significant increase in financial aid to Ukraine for 2024, totaling 520 billion won (equivalent to 394 million US dollars). This is eight times more than the assistance provided in the current year.
According to Reuters, this aid package from Seoul includes 130 billion won (100 million dollars) for recovery, 260 billion won (200 million dollars) for humanitarian assistance, and another 130 billion won (100 million dollars) to be channeled through international organizations. In addition to aid to Ukraine, President Yun Sok Yol has announced plans to increase official development assistance to strategic regions, including the Asia-Pacific region and Africa, from 1.4 trillion won to 2 trillion won (equivalent to 1.51 billion US dollars).