Philippe Bertoux, the French ambassador to Korea, said this at a press briefing on cultural exchanges for the 140th anniversary of Korea-France diplomatic relations held the morning of the 5th at Kim Chung-up Hall at the French Embassy in Seoul's Seodaemun District. Bertoux said, "We will cooperate to ensure that friendly relations between the two countries become even stronger by addressing all fields, including political security, the economy, and culture, as well as education and people-to-people exchanges."
To mark the 140th anniversary of Korea-France diplomatic ties, the French Embassy in Korea will host more than 100 events across about 20 cities, including Seoul and Busan, as well as Daegu, Gwangju, Suwon, and Bucheon. Actor Jun Ji-hyun and Felix of the group Stray Kids were selected as honorary ambassadors for the 140th anniversary. They are scheduled to attend a variety of major cultural events organized by the French Embassy in Korea.
The 140th anniversary events for Korea-France diplomatic ties will begin with the "140th anniversary commemorative concert" at Bucheon Art Center on the 7th. The Bucheon Philharmonic Orchestra, led by conductor Adrien Perruchon, will perform with French pianist Ariel Beck. The program includes Maurice Ravel's "Piano Concerto in G major," Claude Debussy's symphonic work La mer, and composer Park Sang-ah's "Between—the gap of time." Perruchon has conducted world-class orchestras such as the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, the Cleveland Orchestra, and the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra. Perruchon said, "Works that were born in France and won prizes at France's international competitions brought to mind images that well show the beauty of Korea-France relations." Beck said, "I am pleased to have been invited as part of this special Korea-France relations event," adding, "I am thrilled at the thought of meeting Korean audiences."
Starting with the concert on the 7th, a variety of cultural events will continue through December. This month, the exhibition Impressionists' night: Paris 1874 will be held at the War Memorial of Korea, and next month will feature the exhibition French Korean artists—Philippe Thirault collection and "French Film Week," which will present 10 unreleased French films. For the official 140th anniversary ceremony in June at Deoksu Palace, world-renowned soprano Cho Sumi, a recipient of the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres at the Commander rank, will participate.