'Korea is extraordinary mix of modernity and tradition'

Leading cultural figures from across the world talk during a press conference by the Culture Communication Forum 2017 at the Hyatt Hotel in Seoul, Tuesday. From left are Korean photographer Bae Bien-U, WBZ Radio news anchor Rod Fritz, French Senator Jean-Vincent Place, CICI President Choi Jung-wha, Belgian photographer Hughes Dubois, British broadcaster for BBC Television and Radio Francine Stock and Spanish photographer Tino Soriano. / Courtesy of CICI

By Kim Jae-heun

Korea may not attract as much global interest as its northeast Asian neighbors. However, those who visit Korea usually leave the country with unforgettable impressions, such as the energy and the delicious foods the nation offers.

The Culture Communication Forum (CCF), hosted by Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI), invites leading cultural figures from G20 countries to Korea and takes them around Seoul to experience traditional and modern culture here. The foreign cultural leaders will promote Korean culture abroad when they return home.

The event celebrates its seventh anniversary this year and CICI has brought several guests to Korea, including French Senator Jean-Vincent Place, British broadcaster for BBC Television and Radio Francine Stock, Spanish photographer Tino Soriano, WBZ Radio anchor Rod Fritz from America and Belgian photographers Caroline and Hughes Dubois.

The invited representatives agreed Korean culture shows a great harmony between traditional and contemporary culture.

"I admire the extraordinary mix between modernity and preservation of ancestral tradition existing in South Korean society," Place said during a press conference at Hyatt Hotel in Seoul, Tuesday.

The Belgian photographers also said they were fascinated by the mix of tradition and contemporary in Korea as it bridges the past and future.

‘Korea should promote its hiking attractions,' says Fritz

Rod Fritz

Rod Fritz, a news anchor for WBZ Radio, said Korea should promote its local hiking attractions in the United States.

Fritz argued that many foreign tourists visit Seoul to experience the city's energy and the economic dynamism here but the country's best tourist attractions could be outside of the capital city.

"I wonder what it's like outside of Seoul. I don't think Koreans appreciate how hilly and mountainous the country is. Americans love hiking and most of them don't know Korea has such good hiking," said Fritz during an interview with The Korea Times at the Hyatt Hotel in Seoul, Tuesday. "Traveling and cuisine are other attractions that could bring Americans to Korea. Some of them will come for the cuisine they saw on TV."

The anchor also said that Korea is an attractive destination for businessmen as the country promotes the bio-tech and high-tech industries. Fritz emphasized that Korea has an image of prosperity in business and in being successful.

"Look how busy Koreans are. Many skip breakfast because they have to rush to work. And people here look like they are enjoying their work," said Fritz.

Fritz has interviewed many high-profile athletes during his 40-year career, particularly at ESPN Radio and emphasized how sportsmen can use their fame to promote their country if they desire to. He mentioned Korean female golfers making remarkable performances on the LPGA tour and how their achievement is promoting Korean sports.

"Athletes can always talk to media. However, it is important not to talk about politics. Everyone has different opinions," said Fritz.

Fritz took a tour around Seoul for a day and half as part of CCF 2017 held from Aug. 28-29. During his stay, the anchorman visited various traditional and contemporary tourist attractions, including Gyeongbok Palace, the Korean Furniture Museum, the Hyundai Card Factory and the Korean restaurant Congdu.

‘Korean cinema played huge role in promoting country in the world,' said Stock

Francine Stock

Francine Stock, a former judge of the Man Booker Prize and broadcaster for BBC Television and Radio, said very few Korean literary works have broken through to the mainstream in the U.K., but Korean films are playing a big part on the global stage.

"I think partly because there has been a strong tendency of reading traditional literature about the British Empire and novels on the Caribbean," Stock said during an interview with The Korea Times at Hyatt Hotel in Seoul, Tuesday. "Even French literature is not making it though in the U.K. but it is beginning to change these days."

"The Vegetarian has made it into the mainstream recently and it is popular in the U.K. But still, not as much as Korean cinema. Less people read books than watch films," she said.

Stock was invited to Korea as a cultural leader representing Britain to participate in CCF 2017 and experience the traditional and contemporary cultural attractions of Seoul for a day and a half.

Stock, as a movie critic, has interviewed popular Korean filmmakers Bong Joon-ho and Park Chan-wook and watched all of their recent movies.

"I watched Bong's Okja, which was very enjoyable. It's a great parable for adults and I liked it a lot. The scene shot in the mountains is really beautiful. Watching cinema from Korea is just a variety. The variety way of living and the landscape in the scenes are just extraordinary," Stock said.

On the issue of "Okja" released simultaneously in theaters and on online streaming service Netflix, Stocks said she believes theaters are the best place to watch films but the world is changing and it is impractical to stick to tradition arbitrarily.

"I think the window has to be shorter. You have to allow for some kind of release," Stock said.