Myung Won Cultural Foundation holds 25th world tea festival

Myung Won Cultural Foundation said Wednesday it is holding its world tea festival this week, during which it will also celebrate the 100th birthday of the late Kim Mi-hee, who pioneered the restoration of Korea’s tea culture.

According to the foundation, the 25th tea festival, dubbed “K-Tea Festival,” will be held at Coex in southern Seoul for four days, starting Thursday. The event will comprise of a photo exhibition commemorating the birth of Kim, and booths where participants can taste and experience diverse tea products along with the traditional tea ceremony.

Kim, who is called the pioneer of Korea’s tea culture, spearheaded academic seminars and conferences to raise public interest in tea in the late 1970s and 1980s. She is the wife of former Ssangyong Group founder Kim Sung-gon. She is survived by daughter Kim Eui-jeong, who is currently the foundation’s director and son Kim Seok-joon, the current CEO of Ssangyong Engineering and Construction. Kim Eui-jeong is also recognized as an intangible cultural asset No. 27 for her expertise in traditional royal tea ceremonies.

During the four-day event, various tea award ceremonies, lectures and tea blending contests are planned to promote tea, the foundation said.

The event is sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, among others, the foundation said.

By Jo He-rim (herim@heraldcorp.com)