Kim Young-su, First Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, attended the opening ceremony of the 2026 Seoul International Buddhist Expo at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of July 2 and emphasized the "development of traditional culture into creative content."
"Our traditional culture gains stronger and more sustainable power when it goes beyond being a heritage to simply preserve and is reused in everyday life, reinterpreted as industry, tourism and content by meeting new generations," Kim said in his congratulatory address. "This is precisely where K-Culture holds its potential to reach out to the world."
"In this regard, I hope the Seoul International Buddhist Expo will continue to lead the modern reinterpretation and industrial expansion of our traditional culture and become the best platform for building strong connections with future generations," he added. "The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will actively support efforts so that our citizens can enjoy traditional culture through this expo and develop those experiences into creative content."
The Seoul International Buddhist Expo is Korea's largest Buddhist cultural festival, hosted by the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism and organized by the Buddhist Newspaper. This year's event runs through July 5 under the theme "Form Is Emptiness, Emptiness Is Form: The Ball Game You Love," with 286 companies and 435 booths participating, according to the organizers.
Ven. Jinwoo, President of the Jogye Order's Central Administration, said, "I believe K-Buddhism and K-traditional culture will establish themselves as another pillar of the Korean Wave, connecting with people around the world."
Approximately 200,000 visitors attended last year's expo, and organizers estimate even higher attendance this year. Crowds of visitors, mainly in their 20s and 30s, flocked to the venue on the opening day, underscoring the growing popularity of Buddhist culture.