Korea to expand program to cultivate culture experts

The government will expand both in quality and quantity its education program for aspiring creators of content related to traditional Korean culture, the culture ministry said Wednesday.

The ministry has offered a month-long education course on traditional Korean culture for producers, scriptwriters and others with creative jobs in the broadcasting and movie industries, since April, so they can play a role in increasing the world’s awareness of Korean traditional culture through their work.

It has recently renamed the program originally called “K-Arts Academy” to “Hallyu Academy,” hoping their deep understanding of traditional culture will enrich contemporary cultural products, helping to continue “hallyu” or the rising worldwide boom of Korean pop music, films and TV dramas.

To help participants get a deeper understanding of the culture, the ministry said it will double the total length of the education to 60-80 hours per person and run five courses ― one for beginners and four others for advanced-level takers ― starting in the second half of this year.

Chiefs of various national museums, including Kim Young-na of the National Museum of Korea, and some of the best artists in each field of traditional culture ― painting, construction, food, music, religion ― will continue to participate as lecturers, the ministry said.

As the ministry recently opened the program to related public officials, about 50 culture ministry officials will be admitted to the Hallyu Academy in a ceremony Wednesday to better introduce their national culture to foreign countries, the ministry said.

They followed groups of officials assigned to overseas Korean missions or branches of state-run agencies in taking the courses. (Yonhap News)