“2023 Traditional Korea Festival: THAT’S KOREA” starts in Milan, Venice, and Brescia in Italy from April 13 and continues until 30

The festival is set to showcase exhibitions and interactive events on aspects of Korean traditional culture, such as Hanbok, Korean cuisine, and traditional games, and incorporate collaborative projects with overseas institutions, signing an MOU with the Marciana Library on Hanji (Korean paper).

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Minister PARK Bo Gyoon, MCST) and the Korea Craft & Design Foundation (President KIM Tae Hoon, KCDF) hosts the “2023 Traditional Korea Festival: THAT’S KOREA[1]” in Milan, Venice, and Brescia, Italy, from April 13 (Thur) to April 30 (Sun), captivating Italy with Korean traditional culture.

The “Traditional Korea Festival” is a project aimed at sharing the unique beauty and value of Korean traditional culture with the world, promoting cultural exhibitions and interactive events, and participating in collaborative projects with overseas institutions. This year’s event will focus on international exchanges regarding Hanbok, Hanji, and Korean cuisine.

 A Hanbok fashion show and other traditional culture exhibitions and interactive events will be held in Milan (April 17–22) and Brescia (April 25–30).

In Milan, from April 17 (Mon) to 22 (Sat), the opening ceremony, exhibition, and interactive programs will be held at Italy’s historical and cultural sites, such as Palazzina Appiani, with the theme “THAT’S KOREA: Visual Order, Color.”

The opening ceremony will be held on April 18 (Tue); it will feature a Hanbok fashion show, as well as a VIP reception with Korean cuisine. The Hanbok fashion show will showcase 16 Hanbok pieces with the theme “Hanbok Wave,” inspired by traditional Korean art motifs, such as dancheong, hwajodo, chaekgado, and ink paintings. At the VIP reception featuring Korean cuisine, a Michelin-star chef will introduce the charms of Korean cuisine to around 100 locals by offering traditional Korean dishes, beverages, and Korean fusion cuisine.

Exhibitions and interactive programs featuring the following have been prepared: media art using the image of dancheong, screenings of traditional culture content on Hanbok, Korean cuisine, and Korean paper, as well as displays of seasonal table settings, transparent hojokban (tiger-legged table), traditional patterned bojagi (wrapping cloth), and four pieces of representative traditional Hanbok, such as wedding attire and town wear. Visitors can also participate in traditional lifestyle activities, such as playing ddakji (a traditional Korean game) and making Hanji mobiles.

At the MO.CA Italian Cultural Center in Brescia, one of Italy’s representative cultural cities following Milan, visitors can enjoy media art, Korean table settings, Hanji crafts exhibitions, and traditional games from April 25 (Tue) to April 30 (Sun).

 Seminars and an MOU on hanji (Korean paper) will be held at the Marciana Library in Venice from April 13 to 30

The collaborative projects with the Marciana Library will be conducted from April 13 to 30 in Venice. These projects will involve exchanges with major overseas institutions related to traditional culture, such as libraries and museums. During the first half of the year, the Marciana Library will host exhibitions and seminars and sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Hanji.

The Sansovino Hall inside the Marciana Library will display Hanji and Hanji crafts to showcase its value. In addition to introducing its texture, durability, and manufacturing process of traditional Hanji, approximately 80 modern crafts and objects created by 15 Korean artists will be featured, including traditional paper umbrellas.

Hanji seminars will be held on April 13 (Thur) at the Marciana Library, under the theme “Excellence and Restoration of Traditional Hanji,” and on April 15 (Sat) at the C.A.R.M.E art space in Brescia, focusing on “Utilization and Transformation of Traditional Hanji.” On April 19, an MOU on the “Utilization of Traditional Hanji for Preservation and Restoration of Record Culture” will be signed among the KCDF, Marciana Library, and the Rome National Central Library.

 Korean Cuisine Pop-up Store and Cooking Classes on Milan Trams: Marketing Korean Food Culture

A campaign to actively promote Korean food culture will also be carried out, marketing Korean cuisine through the unique value of traditional table settings called “Soban.”

From April 18 (Tue) to 20 (Thur), a Korean cuisine pop-up store will be opened on a tram that travels through the city center, starting from Piazza Fontana in Milan. Passengers can experience Korean food culture through “Soban” and related exhibitions, as well as tasting traditional Korean refreshments, such as dasik and hodu-jeonggwa.

On April 21, a Korean cooking class for locals and Italian culinary students will be held at Eataly[1], a food marketplace in Milan. Participants will create and taste Korean noodles using Italian ingredients, such as chickpeas, and yakgwa, a traditional Korean refreshment made with a mold, showcasing the charm of Korean food culture.

“We hope that the festival can extend the worldwide interest in K-culture beyond popular culture, such as K-pop and dramas, to traditional culture, and spread its unique value across the globe.” said Culture Policy Director-General JUNG Hyang Mi, MSCT.