GWANGJU, KOREA--(Marketwired - September 3, 2013) - September of this southwestern Korean city promises to be filled with culture. Culture Ministers from Korea and Southeast Asia, Asian traditional musicians, journalists, leaders in creative space, world musicians, scholars and experts and artists converge in Gwangju for the creation of an Asian cultural hub and the establishment of the Asia Culture Complex.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Korea) is in the process of turning the city of Gwangju into the Hub City of Asian Culture. It is basically designed to promote exchanges among leading sources of culture in Asia on the strengths of each participating country for the purpose of achieving shared growth. The establishment of the Asia Culture Complex, due for completion in 2014, will be instrumental in collecting, researching, educating, exhibiting and performing related information.

To this end, the Ministry has been organizing Asian cultural events intensively from August to September each year. For this year, various events will be held for a week in Gwangju.

Sept. 6 - 1st Korea-Southeast Asian Culture Ministers Meeting

The meeting will bring together cultural ministers from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam as well as from Korea. They will be discussing the establishment of a solid groundwork for enhancing cultural cooperation and identifying solutions for further developing Asian culture.

Sept. 5 - Concerned about Asia, journalists organize cultural forum

The 1st Asia Cultural Journalists Forum is another important event scheduled for September. At the Forum, they will gather to share opinions on the "Role of the media in realizing prosperity in Asian culture." In addition, there will be the Asia Culture Forum, organized under the theme of "Culture, Technology, Creativity: Art & Culture Complex," among participating scholars and artists.

Asia Traditional Orchestra, Gwangju World Music Festival, Performance of 'One day, Maybe'

On Sept. 5, the Asia Traditional Orchestra, an ensemble of 54 traditional musical instruments from Korea and Southeast Asia, will play traditional music pieces including "I love ASEAN." During the Gwangju World Music Festival, now in its fourth run, musicians from various countries, including Dejandreu Navar of Javi (France) and Hakuei Kim (Japan), will present their distinctive talents and experience on stage.

In preparation of the opening of the Asia Arts Theater of the Asia Culture Complex, "One day, Maybe" produced by Korea, Japan and Britain will be performed.

At the same time, representatives of Asian creative space from 15 countries are joining their hands in finding alternative creative art space for the 21st century.

Event schedule

Event

Date

Venue

The 1st Korea-Southeast Asian Culture Ministers Meeting

9.6

Gwangju Museum of Art

Asia Cultural Journalists Forum

9.5

Ramada Plaza Hotel

'One Day, Maybe'

9.3~9.15

Former Gwangju Girls' High School

Asia Art Space Network

9.3~10.3

Kim Dae-jung Convention Center

Alternative Space Roof Gallery

Asia Traditional Orchestra Concert

9.5

Gwangju Cultural Arts Center

2013 Gwangju World Music Festival

9.6~9.7

Chonnam National University

Asia Culture Forum

9.9.~9.10

Chonnam National University

Contact Information

Media contact:

Kim Soo-chan

+82-2-3704-3455

[email protected]