□ A Korean art exhibition themed with ideas from Korean traditional culture was opened at the
Korean Cultural Center in Tokyo on August 31 as part of Traveling Korean Arts, a program
introducing contemporary Korean arts abroad in cooperation with Korean Cultural Centers overseas
and arts institutions in foreign countries.

□ Entitled One Inspiration—First Ideas from Korean Traditional Culture, the exhibition had been
organized by Savina Museum in Seoul. In Tokyo, it was hosted by the Korean Foundation for
International Cultural Exchange (KOFICE; President Kim Yongrak) and co-organized by the Korean
Cultural Center in Japan, Savina Museum, and Shirota Gallery, which is famous for holding an
exhibition of Lee Ufan’s works.

□ On September 3, there were a dialogue with the artists and networking of specialists at the venue.
The participating artists were Kang Un, Kim Sung-bok, Kim Seung-young, Kim Chang-kyum, Nam
Kyung-min, Yang Dae-won, Yoo Hyun-mi, and Lee Gil-rae, who are active in and outside of Korea.
The exhibition highlights the process of creating creative works with modern methods and media
using ideas initially obtained from Korean traditional cultural resources. A total of 25 artworks are on
display recreating the time-honored tangible and intangible cultural assets of Korea, including hangeul,
the Korean alphabet; hanji, the Korean paper; sipjangsaeng, the 10 traditional symbols of longevity;
and dokkaebi, the goblin.

□ The opening ceremony was attended by over 100 dignitaries from the Museum of Contemporary
Art Tokyo, Fuji Museum, and other institutions. Mr. Akira Tatehata, director of the Yayoi Kusama
Museum and president of Tama Art University said, “It is a very interesting exhibition. It shows the
wonderful attempts of artists active in Korea to obtain ideas from their own culture and have their
tradition reflected on the contemporary times. Like Korea, Japan has a long traditional culture and this
exhibition is expected to stimulate the creative will of young Japanese artists. I am very pleased that
this fantastic exhibition is held in Japan and I hope Korean visual arts will be introduced to Tokyo
continuously in the days ahead.

□ KOFICE President Kim Yongrak said, “Traveling Korean Arts will be developed in a way to
explore performances and exhibitions that effectively publicize the diverse aspects of Korean culture
and arts, while its professional characteristics will be strengthened to further expedite international
exchange.”

□ Traveling Korean Arts, designed to bring Korea closer to world citizens through culture and arts and
promote communication with them, will visit 23 cities in 18 countries, including Tokyo, this year with
varied performances and exhibitions.