The France-based leg of the yearlong South Korea-France cultural exchange project has drawn the curtains with a colorful flourish, celebratory of the 130th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic ties. As of the end of August, the events of the “Years 2015-2016 of Korea-France Bilateral Exchanges” have hailed about 2.26 million visitors in France, which ran from September 2015.

South Korea and Morocco have agreed to tighten collaboration in cultural sectors that include education, sports and youth exchanges as they seek closer bilateral diplomatic ties, the foreign ministry said Tuesday.

Tehran and Seoul opened their joint technology exchange center in a ceremony [...] President Park, in her meeting with the her Iranian counterpart, emphasized the need to revitalize trade and diversify cooperation to encompass investment and construction of such infrastructure projects...

During 2016, Korea has shown renewed efforts on the economic diplomacy front, particularly so towards Latin America. In that region, free trade agreements (FTAs) are in place with Chile, Peru, and Colombia ― the latter of which came into force July 15. Currently, multilateral negotiations are underway with countries from the Central American Integration System (SICA) since June and bilaterally with Ecuador since August 2015. 

South Korean Culture Minister Kim Jong-deok will attend a culture ministers' conference with his Chinese and Japanese counterparts on Jeju Island [...] Entering its eighth edition, the trilateral meeting on Saturday and Sunday will focus on ways to establish an Asian cultural community as a joint project by the three countries in arts, cultural assets, and the culture-related industry.

Everybody eats, which is what makes food a perfect choice to resolve conflicts and foster connections among nations. The concept is called "gastrodiplomacy," and South Korea is one of its strongest champions. [...] And even as the government supports its citizens in opening Korean restaurants around the world, it pays special attention to promoting that most ubiquitous of Korean foods: kimchi.

Korea and China celebrate the 24th anniversary of diplomatic relations on Aug. 24, but bilateral ties have suffered considerably in recent months due to Seoul's decision to deploy an advanced U.S. missile defense system here. Amid rising tensions between the two countries, President Park Geun-hye will visit China to attend the 11th G20 summit in Hangzhou on Sept. 4 to 5.

The purpose of CultureGround, which was established in March 2012, is vague. CultureGround plans festivals, travel routes and even international exchange events and volunteer programs. Kim describes his company as creating diverse travel programs with the keywords “Learn, Enjoy, Share.”