"I have organized contemporary art exhibitions together with embassies of countries including Britain, Qatar, and the Dominican Republic, and I take pride in elevating our national prestige through private-sector cultural and public diplomacy."
Park So-jung, CEO of The Trinity, a cultural and arts planning firm, made the remarks in an interview on January 2 at her gallery located in Grand Hyatt Seoul in Hannam-dong, Seoul. "Since the COVID-19 pandemic era, I have been holding exhibitions with foreign embassies in Korea from the perspective of 'exchanging our disconnected cultures,'" she said.
Park graduated from Dankook University with a degree in Oriental painting and earned a master's degree in culture and arts management from Hongik University. After working as a curator at several galleries, she launched her own venture in 2015, driven by the idea of "merging culture and art with industry." She has since pioneered the field of "art business," connecting art, brands, technology, and industry across exhibition planning, spatial content, corporate branding, and cultural diplomacy.
Her philosophy is that cultural diplomacy, much like an embrace, softens tensions between nations and builds long-term trust. Pursuing cultural diplomacy projects requires months of diplomatic approvals, message reviews, sponsor consultations, and protocol discussions, but she continues to push forward with the conviction that she is conducting public diplomacy. "When we launch cultural diplomacy exhibitions timed to diplomatic anniversaries with various countries, each typically runs for two to three months," she said. "These are not mere events — they creatively present the cultural assets of both sides, enhancing the prestige of both national brands."
In 2020, she organized a solo exhibition for Spanish artist Gloria Muñoz with the Spanish Embassy in Korea to mark the 70th anniversary of Korea-Spain diplomatic relations. She also held a joint exhibition of six emerging artists simultaneously in both countries in partnership with Spain's Amuleto Art. As COVID-19 was raging at the time, audiences used augmented reality (AR) apps to scan markers installed on gallery walls in both countries to view the artworks. In 2021, marking the 40th anniversary of Korea-Lebanon diplomatic relations, she partnered with the Lebanese Embassy in Korea to present an exhibition by artist Jang Jun-seok, who arranged Korean letter sculptures of flowers, forests, and stars into ecological landscapes conveying a message of healing. In 2022, she organized an exhibition of Dominican artist Iris Pérez Romero with the Dominican Embassy in Korea to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Korea-Dominican Republic diplomatic relations.
In 2023, to commemorate the 140th anniversary of Korea-UK diplomatic relations, she showcased Korean contemporary media art at the digital media platform Outernet and the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London as part of a "K-International Tourism Roadshow" organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization. With the help of Colin James Crooks, the current British Ambassador to Korea, she invited diplomatic envoys including former British ambassadors to Korea. In Seoul, she also held an exhibition of works by artist Won Bum-sik depicting landmark buildings of both countries, in cooperation with the British Embassy in Korea. In 2024, marking the 50th anniversary of Korea-Qatar diplomatic relations, she organized a photo exhibition with the Qatari Embassy in Korea introducing the Qatar World Cup, landmarks, and maritime craft heritage. "Through art and cultural exhibitions, I have created venues for exchange not only among collectors but also between corporations and diplomatic envoys," Park said. "I also received letters of appreciation from the ambassadors of Qatar, the Dominican Republic, and Kuwait, thanking me for contributing to the expansion of cultural exchange between our countries."
