Southeast Asia cultural center to open in Busan

To coincide with the 2014 Asean-Korea Commemorative Summit, the Korean government will establish a Southeast Asia Cultural Center in Busan. President Park Geun-hye said in an interview carried in the newspapers of some Asean countries on Wednesday that she hopes the center will help promote cultural exchange between the organization’s members and encourage people from Southeast Asia to visit Korea.

Hallyu, or the Korean Wave, has helped boost awareness of Korean culture in Southeast Asia, but to promote better overall cooperation and understanding between the two regions, the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs facilitated the building of the cultural center earlier this year.

Originally, Seoul or Incheon were considered prime locations for the new center, which will operate as an international organization. But the Foreign Ministry chose Busan after the port city made a strong case to play host to the structure. It pointed out that it is the site of the Commemorative Summit, is a sister city to areas in six Asean countries and is easily accessible.

The four-story building, funded by the government, will be completed by 2017 and will include an exhibition hall, performance hall, information center and training room.

BY SARAH KIM [sarahkim@joongang.co.kr]