Korean cultural centre reopens with comics, cooking and more

The Korean Cultural Centre in Brussels is busy getting ready to reopen this week after the coronavirus shutdown - as well as preparing for 2021 which will be full of special events to commemorate the 120th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Belgium.

The reopening of the cultural centre will be on 10 September, with the exhibition of Korean and Belgian comic strips in association with the Fête de la BD, an annual KCC exhibition which highlights different Korean and Belgian artists and that has many dedicated fans.

Another very popular programme is the Korean cooking classes which have been halted by the health crisis – but a solution has been found.

"We have received so many requests and emails about the cuisine class so we are creating video clips designed to make it as easy as possible for people to learn Korean recipes," says KCC spokesman Chung Haetal.

"The Korean chef will speak in French but will be subtitled in Dutch and English and at the end of the video the recipe will be written in the three languages."

The eighth edition of the Korean Film Festival will start on 16 October, opening at Bozar with the film The Peninsula which was invited to Cannes 2020.

Among the events for the 2021 anniversary are several co-productions. “We have worked closely for years with Belgian institutions,” says Haetel. “The anniversary year events will include a gala concert in cooperation with the Queen Elizabeth Competition, a major Korean comic strip exhibition at the Belgian Comic Strip Centre and a Korea Festival that will include performances of Korean music, plays, dance, as well as cuisine events and the participation of Belgians in the productions. This is now in the planning stages so there will be many more events.”