The Summer Olympics (Paris 2024) kicked off in Paris, France, this year from July 26 to August 11. Approximately 10,500 athletes from 206 countries traveled to compete in the event, as dozens of National Olympic Committees set up hospitality houses in the capital to showcase their country's culture and engage in sports diplomacy. Korea’s hospitality venue to promote its culture to the world was the “Korea House.
” For this year’s Summer Olympics, the Korean government enlarged the scale of its programs to boost the country’s profile. A promotional campaign, “Campagne de Promotion de la K-Food Culture 2024,” was also launched at a site nearby to introduce Korean food culture to the locals. Korea House Korea House ran from July 25 to August 11 at Maison de la Chimie (House of Chemistry), an international conference center in the heart of Paris.
This year, fifteen private and public institutions offered a wide range of exhibitions, interactive experiences and cultural performances. The events were co-hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) and the Korean Sports and Olympic Committee. Korea House had been a tradition since the 2004 Athens Olympics, serving as a hub to support Korean athletes and facilitate sports diplomacy.
The government held the largest-ever Korea House this year to accommodate the higher number of visitors participating in the high-profile Paris Olympics. Korea House Events The cultural events that took place during the 2024 Summer Olympics included dance performances, book concerts, and exhibitions. Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) held events to promote Korean pop music, beauty, and food from July 27 to 31.
Music events included pop cover dance performances, B-boying shows, and interactive K-pop dance classes. Food and beauty events included Korean snack packages, makeup demonstrations, and personal color consultations. The Korea Arts & Culture Education Service staged a dance performance, “Project Hand,” to celebrate the Olympic spirit of harmony and friendship.
The dance was performed by Korean and French youth and choreographed by Ahn Eun-me. The Korean National Ballet held a special gala performance combining classical ballet with gugak (traditional music). The show was staged from July 28 to 29th at the grand theater of the “Korea House” in Paris.
The Publication Industry Promotion Agency of Korea hosted a range of events to promote Korean literature. From Aug. 6-7, it held a live painting show by picture book artist Lee Ki-hoon and panel discussions with Korean authors Baek Su-rin and Yoon Go-eun and French author Bernard Minier, which delved into the enigmas of human nature that AI technology is unable to solve.
KTO and HYBE set up permanent exhibitions to introduce cultural events and tourist hot spots around Korea. Visitors at the exhibitions were given the opportunity to try on hanbok and take selfies with Korea's tourist hot spots in the background. Other exhibitions introduced hanbok and Korean crafts.
There were special exhibitions on hanbok, hanji (Korean paper), hansik (traditional cuisine), and Korean crafts. Hanbok fashion show The Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, in collaboration with the Korea Craft & Design Foundation, hosted a hanbok fashion show at the Korea House in Paris on August 1. This event took place in the inner garden of Korea House and was a prelude to the "Korea Day" celebrations at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Its goal was to accentuate the beauty of hanbok, Korea's traditional attire, to the entire world. Under the theme "Play the K, Allez la Corée," the event was a show of international sports diplomacy, promoting Korea on the global stage. It drew the attention of key sports figures from around the world, including members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and other prominent domestic and international sports officials.
The theme of thehanbok fashion show was "A Summer Outing of a Young Girl." The inspiration for the theme came from the imagined journey of a girl who participated in the 1900 Paris Exposition (Exposition Universell), but returned to visit Korea House during the 2024 Paris Olympics. This creative concept shed light on the historical connection between Paris and Korea while also celebrating the achievements of the Korean Olympic team and wishing them success.
The show was directed by a renowned stylist named Suh Young-hee. Meanwhile, seven well-known Korean hanbok designers presented their works—Kim Young-jin, Kim In-ja, Kim Ji-won, Kim Hye-soon, Song Hye-mi, Yoo Hyun-hwa, and Lee Hye-sook. Their designs, modeled by 20 local models, showcased traditional ceremonial attire from coming-of-age ceremonies and outdoor weddings.
Lee Hae-don, Director-General of the Cultural Policy Bureau at MCST, commented on the event. "At Korea House, a comprehensive promotional venue for K-content, this hanbok fashion show has successfully highlighted the unique beauty and elegance of hanbok, while also expressing our wishes for the success of the Korean Olympic team,” he said. Campagne de Promotion de la K-Food Culture 2024 The Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism and the Korea Craft and Design Foundation (KCDF) held a campaign to promote Korean food culture in Paris.
From August 2 to 7, a promotional campaign. “Campagne de Promotion de la K-Food Culture 2024,” introduced Korean cuisine and other aspects of Korean food culture at the 15th arrondissement of Paris. The campaign also featured participatory events, including traditional games and workshops.
Prominent features of the campaign included the soban (a traditional Korean table), juansang (a liquor table set with side dishes), and popular traditional snacks. Eventgoers also got a chance to see traditional white tableware and earthenware bowls and engage in participatory events such as traditional games. The traditional snacks available for tasting included dasik (traditional bite-sized desserts made of powdered grain and nuts), yakgwa (fried honey cookies), and three types of jeon (kimchi, chive, and potato).
The traditional games available for play included ddakjichigi (where competitors throw thick pieces of paper to flip an opponent’s piece), jegichagi (where competitors try to kick a sack with their feet), tuho (arrow-throwing), paengi (top-spinning), gonggi (Korean jacks), and sangaji (using rods). During the last two days of the campaign, a Korean food culture workshop was held at the OORI center. At the workshop, participants learned about traditional table settings and got a chance to experience kitchen life in the Joseon Dynasty.
Chef Jeong Ju-hee, who has led efforts to introduce Korean food culture in France, taught the classes for the workshop. Under her guidance, participants made traditional dishes such as neobiani (minced steak patties) and lettuce kimchi while sampling traditional Korean alcohol..
