Ex-MBC producer Jung takes helm at KOFICE
The Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange (KOFICE) has appointed former producer and professor Jung Gil-hwa as its president.
The foundation, which was founded in 2003, held a small-scale inauguration ceremony to welcome its new head Monday at the DMC High-Tech Industry Center, located in western Seoul’s Mapo District. The event was also streamed online as social distancing guidelines restrict large gatherings.
“Cultural exchanges (between countries) are especially needed during this time. So the role and responsibility of this foundation that offers a platform for related parties are crucial in shaping the direction of the policies and structure of international cultural exchange,” Jung said during the ceremony.
“I will do my best to cooperate with the related agencies and lead substantial changes and consistent development.”
Jung worked as a producer in the current affairs and documentary department at the territorial broadcaster
MBC. He then served as the broadcaster’s head of public relations and regional director of Latin America.
He also served as an adviser for the state-run Korea Creative Content Agency, and a professor in Digital Culture and Content Studies at Ajou University in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province.
Jung noted he will use his extensive media background to lead the agency. “To fulfill the duties of the
agency in the K-culture era, we will continue to keep an eye out for new cultural trends, and be open to the discussions experts and scholars have towards the changes, so we can apply them to our business,” he said. KOFICE was founded in 2003 as a subsidiary agency under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. It has been working to promote Korean culture internationally and bring different countries’ cultures to Korea, striving to be a “network hub” between Korea and other countries.
The foundation organizes cultural events and workshops, provides platforms for global networking, conducts research and studies, and arranges professional training programs for experts in related fields.
It has held numerous events in cooperation with the culture ministry, including the K-Culture Festival and Asia Song Festival to promote the global expansion of “Hallyu” or the Korean wave.
One of the foundation’s recent events includes the Korea-United Arab Emirates Festival, which was held online from March 31 to April 4, in celebration of the 2020-2021 Korea-UAE Cultural Dialogue.
The event, co-hosted by Korea’s culture ministry and the UAE’s Ministry of Culture and Youth, presented performance by K-pop stars MAMAMOO, B.I.G, ASTRO, NCT DREAM, THE BOYZ and aespa, alongside Emirati singer Fatima Al Hashmi.
It also invited experts and buyers from the Arab nation and Korean companies in the comics, games and immersive technology sectors to introduce Korean content to the Middle Eastern region.