The ‘Korea House,’ which will showcase the diverse charms of Korean culture in Paris, France, will operate from July 25 to August 11 in conjunction with the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics.
Since its debut at the Athens 2004 Summer Olympics, the Korea House has been continuously operated as a support center for the athletes and a hub for sports diplomacy. In conjunction with the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, it is set to expand its operations as a multifaceted cultural space to introduce Korean culture to people around the world.
The Korea House, operated by the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, will be located on the entire third floor of the ‘Maison de la Chime’ (28 Rue Saint-Dominique, 75007 Paris) in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, which offers excellent accessibility. This year’s Korea House will be the largest ever, featuring participation from 15 sponsors and public institutions, including CJ, the main official partner. It will host exhibitions, experiential events, and performances themed around K-Sports, K-Content, K-Food, K-Traditional Arts, and K-Concerts.
The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee will provide various attractions through the K-Sports program, including a permanent exhibition promoting the history of Korean sports and upcoming international competitions. Additionally, it will faithfully fulfill its original role by hosting events such as ‘Athletes’ Day’ and ‘Korea Day,’ as well as offering a relaxation lounge for Olympic athletes, medal ceremonies, and interview support throughout the duration of the games. There is also anticipation for the major team cheering events featuring cheering sticks provided by HYBE.
CJ will offer programs that allow participants to experience representative Korean content such as films, dramas, and food in various ways. In addition, there will be ongoing experiences like instant photo sessions with Photoism and the Cass Pocha experience by Cass.
In addition, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will showcase the charm of traditional Korean culture through various materials and methods centered around hanji (Korean paper), hansik (Korean cuisine), and hanbok (traditional clothing). The Korea Tourism Organization will provide popular cultural experiences for foreigners, including K-pop cover dance performances, b-boying shows, dance classes, and K-beauty pop-up booths. The Korean National Ballet is set to present a classic ballet performance and a creative work that harmonizes ballet and traditional Korean music in the main theater of the Korea House. There will also be ongoing exhibitions such as the K-Book author event organized by the Publication Industry Promotion Agency of Korea, an exhibition of 18 types of new technology convergence content and immersive content by the Korea Creative Content Agency, and a Korean pottery exhibition presented through collaboration between the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange and the Korea Ceramic Foundation.
The Korea House at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, which will serve as an important platform to promote Korea’s sports diplomacy to the world, will be open to the public for free through advance reservations made on its website. It will operate for a total of 17 days, from July 25 to August 11.
Disclaimer: The views, suggestions, and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. No journalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.