[Aju News Photo]
China's publicity chief Liu Qibao attended an exhibition featuring Chinese and South Korean photo artists on the southernmost resort island of Jeju Friday on the first day of his four-day visit to South Korea.
Liu's visit to South Korea is expected to bring up the issue of expanding the "Soft Power", a new strategy pushed by China to strengthen and expand the so-called "public diplomacy" as a global power. On Monday in Seoul, he is to hold talks with South Korean Foreign Minister Yoon Byung-se and parliamentary speaker Chung Ui-hwa to discuss a broad range of issues on the Korean Peninsula.
Liu, a Politburo member of China's Communist Party (CPC) who heads the Central Committee's Publicity Department, is seen by outsiders as one of China's promising next leaders. With his strong leadership in propaganda, there has been speculation among some political observers that he would be promoted at next year's party congress.
After flying into Jeju, Liu led an opening ceremony for the photo exhibition -- "Beautiful China, Beautiful Korea" -- at the International Peace Center. At present were Jeju governor Won Hee-ryong, Chinese Ambassador to Seoul Qiu Guohong, and Aju News Corporation CEO Kwak Young-kil.
On display were 118 pictures showing famous natural scenery and historical spots of the two countries as well as their traditional culture and urban landscapes. Chinese officials said the joint exhibition revealed a sense of cultural and emotional fellowship shared by the two countries.
The exhibition was held to promote cultural exchanges following an agreement between South Korean President Park Geun-hye and Chinese President Xi Jinping to designate 2015 as the Year of Visiting China and 2016 as the Year of Visiting South Korea.
The next day, Liu will drop in Seobok (Xu Fu) Park in Seogwipo, a place frequented by Chinese tourists because of a folk tale that it has miraculous virtues for those seeking promotion.
Residents in Jeju say that Xu Fu, a court sorcerer during China's ancient Qin Dynasty, visited the island to look for the elixir of life. The park has become one of the most want-to-visit places sought by Chinese officials since Chinese President Xi Jinping got promoted after praying there.
China’s publicity chief Liu Qibao (right), Governor of Jeju Province Won Heer-yong (second from right), Aju News Corporation CEO Kwak Young-kil (left), and President of Korea Tourism Organization Jung Chang-soo are browsing through photo exhibition “Beautiful China, Beautiful Korea” held at Peace center Jeju[Photo by Kim Se-goo]
Helped by Beijing's eased restrictions on overseas travel, Jeju has emerged as a perfect place for a vacation by Chinese tourists because of its geographical proximity and a special visa-free program that would allow them to stay freely for up to 30 days. Another crucial and probably more important factor is the growing popularity of Korean pop songs, movies and TV dramas in China.
Government data showed the number of Chinese visitors to Jeju has increased from 115,000 in 2005 to 2.237 million in 2015, bringing wealth and jobs to the island. The stunning increase represents improved Sino-Korean relations which were normalized in 1992. Only over a period of two decades, the two countries have seen tremendous growth in trade, cultural, political and other exchanges.
In Seoul on Sunday, Liu will visit the Dongyang Arts Center, South Korea's first Chinese film theater, where he will mingle with a host of South Korean and Chinese officials including South Korea's Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Kim Jong-deok.
The theater, which opened last month at an art district, has screened old and new Chinese films such as "Red Sorghum" directed by Zhang Yimou who won the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival in 1988, and "Meet Miss Anxiety," a 2014 Chinese film directed by South Korea's Kwak Jae-yong.
The Chinese cultural center offers more than two films a month at no charge. The project has been sponsored by the Seoul city government to promote cultural exchanges between the two countries.
The theater underlines growing ties between Seoul and Beijing. A pair of Chinese giant pandas arrived in South Korea in early March to live at Samsung Everland's amusement park. South Korea became the 14th country to have the endangered species. China has a tradition of sending pandas to foreign countries as a gesture of friendship.
Aju News Lim Chang-won = cwlim34@ajunews.com
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
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