Page 26 - ELITE PLUS MAGAZINE VOL8

How does the government support Korean writers who wish to publish their works overseas?The Literature Translation Institute of Korea promotes Korean literature and culture worldwide. It offers a wide range of programmes to help Korean literature reach more readers around the globe. It also provides grants to translators and publishers, supports literature- related international exchange and training programmes for literary translators, and offers fellowships to scholars of Korean literature.Why is it important for Korea to increase its intangible cultural exports and make the rest of the world more aware of Korean culture?Human beings have been living on the Korean Peninsula for thousands of years and the resultant heritageis both tangible and intangible. These traditions are pathways to understanding the past and keys to unlocking the future. Studying a society’s cultural heritage is like looking at its cultural and artistic DNA. Koreans have an intrinsic sense of the aesthetic, a sense of space that shows harmony andadaptation to nature.Even though globalization is aworldwide phenomenon, cultural differences cannot be overlooked. When disparate cultures meet and mingle, introducing one’s own culture—whether it is tangible or intangible—is just as important as understanding other cultures. That is to say, cultural diversity forms the cultural heritage of humanity.What sort of presence does Thai culture have in Korea? How do Koreans perceive Thai culture?Thai food is the first point of contact with Thai culture for many Koreans. With its spicy, sour and sweet tastes, Thai food has been pop- ular in Korea since the early 1990s.Thai restaurants offer wonderful dishes, and have carved out a distinc- tive niche among high-end restaurants in Korea.Traditional Thai massage is also very popular in Korea, and is known to be very helpful in increasing flexibility and relieving headaches as well as back and neck pain. Some companies give out coupons for Thai massages as gifts for their workers on special occasions, and children give such coupons to their parents.Brands such as Jim Thompson and NaRaYa, which produce Thai silk and cotton, are also very famous among Koreans.They are popular because the price24 Elite+