Korea Heritage Service Opens Seokguram Special Exhibition and National Heritage Visit Campaign in Paris

In celebration of the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and France, the Korea Heritage Service held the special exhibition 《A Thousand Years of Buddhist Art's Mystery: Seokguram》 and the National Heritage Visit Campaign 《Korea on Stage in Paris》 in Paris, France, on the 1st (local time). The campaign will continue until October 7, and the special exhibition will run until March 13, 2027.

The first part of the event, organized jointly by the Korean Cultural Center in France and Gyeongju City, was a traditional arts performance held at Place du Trocadéro at 3:00 PM that day. The Korea Heritage Agency Performing Arts Troupe presented Gilnori, Lion Dance, Kkwaenggwari-nori, Sogo Dance, Jindo Drum Dance, Beona-nori, and Samul Yeoldubal for about 30 minutes. National Assembly members Kim Seok-ki and Kim Jae-won, along with locals and tourists, watched the performance.

At 6:50 PM, the opening ceremony for the Seokguram special exhibition was held at the Korean Cultural Center in France. The exhibition serves as a venue to introduce Korean Buddhist art through Seokguram Grotto, one of the first heritage sites in Korea to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. A restored piece of the 〈Nokyu Sinjang Byeokjeon〉, which decorated the foundation of the wooden pagoda at the Sacheonwangsa Temple site in Gyeongju, was displayed, and a 3D realistic video that three-dimensionally implements the interior of Seokguram Grotto was also presented. The history, construction technology, and preservation/research achievements of Seokguram Grotto are also introduced.

At the opening ceremony, Kwon Hyeok-un, the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to France, gave the opening remarks, and National Assembly member Kim Seok-ki, Lee Gil-bae, Director of the Heritage Policy Bureau of the Korea Heritage Service, and Joo Nak-young, Mayor of Gyeongju City, delivered congratulatory speeches. Attendees also tasted temple food prepared by the Cultural Corps of Korean Buddhism.

From today (the 2nd) to the 7th, linked events will be held at the Korean Cultural Center in France, local schools in Paris, and Gilsangsa Temple in France. At the Cultural Center's 'National Heritage Promotion Space,' there will be an exhibition of the French edition of the 'National Heritage Visitor Passport,' Bojagi keychain making, and traditional games/craft experiences. In the 'Connecting Bridge' national heritage education and experience program space, visitors can see 3D Seokguram Grotto educational tools, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) content, and tactile models.

At Gustave Flaubert Middle School and Paris Korean School, Hangeul education for local youth and rubbing experiences of the 『Hunminjeongeum Haerye』 will take place. At the Cultural Center, temple food and Seon meditation experiences will be provided, and at Gilsangsa Temple in France, a Temple Stay experience is prepared. On the 5th and 6th, experts from the Gyeongju National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage will give lectures on the themes of 〈Seokguram and Silla Buddhism〉 and 〈Life and Death of the Silla People〉, and introduce the results of the excavation surveys of Jjoksaem Tomb No. 44 and Wolseong.

The Korea Heritage Service plans to continue expanding international exchanges through this event.