The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced it will hold the "2026 Overseas Korean Cultural Center Directors and Cultural Attachés Conference" from March 10 to 13 at the KOCIS Center in Jongno-gu and the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Directors from 42 Korean Cultural Centers across 35 countries will attend the meeting.
On March 10, the first day of the conference, Minister Choi Hwi-young will preside over a training session. Participants will share the ministry's key policy directions, major achievements, current issues, and future plans for each cultural center. The ministry plans to present ministerial commendations to top-performing institutions from the "2025 Overseas Korean Cultural Center Performance Evaluation": the Korean Cultural Centers in Osaka, Spain, Vietnam, and Thailand, as well as the Cultural Attaché Office in Beijing.
The conference will also strengthen cooperation between overseas Korean Cultural Centers and domestic partner organizations. In the largest such effort since the inception of the directors' conference, four working-level meetings will be held with 47 related organizations, local governments, and private groups spanning cultural arts, tourism, sports, content, food, beauty, and fashion industries. Through these sessions, the cultural centers aim to expand K-Culture's reach and identify collaborative projects that lead to tangible export outcomes.
The conference will feature expert lectures to enhance field expertise. Seoul National University Professor Emeritus Kim Nan-do will deliver a lecture on cultural trends, followed by in-depth discussions with National Museum of Korea Director Yu Hong-jun and former Korean Cultural Center New York Director Kim Cheon-su on strategies for spreading K-Culture globally.
Overseas Korean Cultural Centers have gained increasing importance as hubs for promoting K-Culture worldwide, supporting K-Culture exports, cultural Official Development Assistance, and summit diplomacy. This conference will explore ways to strengthen their role as bridgeheads for K-Culture exports.
Minister Choi Hwi-young stated, "As the President declared in his New Year's address, Korea will shift from product-driven growth to 'attractive growth led by culture' for a great national leap forward. Culture is now a core engine driving our national brand and economic growth." He added, "As overseas Korean Cultural Centers serve as bridgeheads for K-Culture exports, we will actively support them in becoming hubs where people can experience Korean culture, consume Korean products including food, beauty, and fashion, and discover the appeal of visiting Korea."