A New Korean Cultural Center in Manila (Sabong News)

It has already been a decade since a Korean song, reached one of the top spots on the Billboard chart, a first for any Korean song in the international music scene. This was a significant milestone for Korean pop-culture and its rise in popularity, which is continuing today thanks to, among other things, increasing accessibility through global streaming services. Since arriving in Manila a year ago, I’ve seen extensive media coverage of the entertainment world in Korea which, I believe, reflects the interest of the people in the Philippines in our pop culture. Many lauded Korean films and TV shows for being fun, entertaining and also for their well-crafted production and cinematography. Korean pop music is said to be popular for its catchy melodies and prime performances. Some pointed out the government’s support for culture in general. I would like to add to these observations that almost all the Korean songs and shows that attained popularity had in themselves a sort of universality – issues, values, feelings – that resonates with many people. Satirical narratives about society sprinkled with humor – as Psy once said of “Dress classy and Dance cheesy” – critiquing fixation on money, status and consumerism; a sharp dark comedy about societal hierarchies and the brutal reality of material inequality (the movie and the series ); or stories of our friends and neighbors, traditional family tales of gratitude, friendship, righteousness and honesty seem to be just a few of the “universality” elements that made them to be liked by a wide audience. The popularity of works that embody these perennial universal themes isn’t a particularly new phenomenon in Korea. For one example, dating back to the 17 century, a traditional mask dance called has been part of everyday life in any village with its captivating music and satire of the decadent noble man, apostate monks, or family patriarchs. Also, traditional Korean storytelling music addresses the universal themes of love , filial piety , righteousness , the triumph of good over evil or the mockery of the corrupt elites . Likewise, , the first Korean novel written in , told the story of a natural son of a prominent family unable to break the class barrier in society. In the end, he builds a country that has no class discrimination. As a prominent multi Awards winning writer pointed out in a recent newspaper column, art is the tangible expression of culture and they, rather than being passing entertainment, “rehumanize us, remind us of our truest, noblest and also most vulnerable selves.” I believe this is what universality means in culture. Every work that achieved a certain degree of popularity was universal in its own diversity and diverse while being universal. Without doubt, our efforts to deepen mutual understanding between our two peoples have benefitted enormously from such popularity. During this burgeoning decade, our diplomatic mission has been working hard to expand the cultural realm in our bilateral relations. In 2011, the Korean government opened the Korean Cultural Center in Manila to build stronger cultural ties between Korea and the Philippines. The center has been an institution enhancing engagement between artists, musicians, writers and the culture loving public from both countries. The center is reopening on 23 March in the city of Taguig to be a place where each and every one can form connections with the cultural actuality of both Korea and the Philippines. I am confident that the center will further contribute with renewed energy to reducing whatever borders or obstacles we may find between our peoples and to promoting shared cultural experiences and kinship. As the late Premier Kim Koo of the Korean Provisional Government said in his autography in 1947, “The only thing that I desire in infinite quantity is the power of culture. This is because the power of culture both makes us happy and gives happiness to others.” The new Korean Cultural Center will certainly contribute in giving happiness to us all. I look forward to hearing more happy stories brought about by the power of culture of our two countries.