To mark the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Latvia and Korea, on 24 August, an exhibition titled “Latvia. A New Beginning” was unveiled at the Geumjeong Cultural Centre in Busan, the second largest city in the Republic of Korea. The exhibition organised by the Embassy of Latvia to the Republic of Korea in association with the Geumjeong Cultural Centre will be open for viewing till 9 October.
The vast display of the exhibition offers an insight into the diversity of Latvia’s culture. One part of the exposition, “Latvia. Architecture at Convergence”, reflects the rich culture of Latvia and has been created as a follow-up to the special issue No. 555 (2016) of the Japanese architectural magazine a+u showcasing Latvian architecture, Feature: Latvia – Architecture Unfolding.

The exhibition also displays photographs by Jurģis Rikveilis featuring a present-day take on the significance of the Latvian traditional dress. A perfect addition to the photos is a special comment prepared by Dr. Hist. Aija Jansone, Head of the Ethnography Section at the Ethnographic Open-Air Museum of Latvia.   

Young visitors can enjoy an exposition of illustrations and sketches, “Travel on Paper”, by the Latvian artist illustrator, Gundega Muzikante, with vivid characters from various Latvian books. 

Those interested in sightseeing can get to know Latvia by taking a virtual tour developed by a Latvian company, Ocean Multimedia. The virtual trip had already garnered attention among viewers this spring, when the Gimpo Cultural Centre hosted a wide-scale exhibition on Latvia organised by the Embassy.   

Latvian animated films – “Away” by Gints Zilbalodis, “Jacob, Mimi and the Talking Dogs” by Edmunds Jansons, “Rocks in My Pockets”, by Signe Baumane, and “The Sun Rides up into the Sky” by Roze Stiebra – will also be screened during the exhibition.  

The exhibition is part of a series of events held in 2021 to mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Latvia and the Republic of Korea. 

The Latvian-Korean diplomatic relations were established in Riga, on 22 October 1991. Source: Latvia Embassy in Seoul
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Government officials from Latvia and South Korea underline opportunities for political and economic cooperation

On 26 July 2021, members of the South Korea-Latvia Friendship Group of South Korea’s National Assembly were in Latvia on a working visit and they met with Parliamentary Secretary Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica at the Latvian Foreign Ministry.

Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica put an emphasis on how South Korea is an important and like-minded partner for Latvia in Asia and that the countries share perspectives in many areas including on the role of effective multilateralism in international cooperation, human rights and in upholding democratic principles.

During the meeting, it was noted that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Latvia and South Korea. Good parliamentary cooperation has arisen but there are also opportunities to further strengthen the political dialogue.   

In discussing bilateral economic cooperation, appreciation was expressed for the growth in trade over the past year, and the positive influence of the EU-South Korea free trade agreement. There was general agreement on the potential for boosting economic cooperation even more including in the sectors of transport, logistics, pharmaceuticals, and tourism.

The Parliamentary Secretary of the Latvian Foreign Ministry urged Latvia’s South Korean partners to keep an eye out for opportunities for investment, in ICT, and in other areas of high added value. The hope was also expressed that cooperation in tourism would be resuming soon as well as the direct charter flights between South Korea and Latvia.

The Friendship Group from the South Korean National Assembly has meetings planned as well with leaders of the Latvian Parliament (Saeima), the Latvian Investment and Development Agency (LIAA) and with officials from the Ministry of Welfare. Source: Latvia Ministry of Foreign Affairs

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