President Park seeks to connect with Swiss people through cultural events

President Park Geun-hye - on a state visit to Switzerland - has been busy promoting Korean culture and taking part in various performance-related events.
Our presidential office correspondent Eoh Jin-joo, who is traveling with the president, sends us this report from Bern.
President Park has been putting great emphasis on culture... as a means to better communicate and connect with local people... when she travels to different countries.
She made sure to keep this tradition going in Switzerland.
The president attended the "Korea Fantasy" on Sunday, a performance composed of various Korean traditional dances by the National Theatre of Korea,... at the Paul Klee Center in Bern.
The Korea Fantasy has been performed more than 600 times in some 60 countries, to promote Korean dance to global audiences.


"Korean traditional dance is known for its dynamism, but also for its stillness. Did you feel that way today?"


President Park stressed that culture connects the minds of people living in different circumstances and using different languages.... and will eventually bring everyone together.

The presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae says the president's participation in the event demonstrates her determination to expand the Korean Wave, or Hallyu, which is currently centered around Korean dramas and pop culture,... to traditional culture... and even fine art .
Ahead of the performance,... President Park also looked around an exhibition on the life and work of German-Swiss painter Paul Klee,... who is known for painting the first abstract works in the 20th century, along with Russian artist Wassily Kandinsky.


"I am very lucky to have the chance to see such great works."


She also met with six pro-Korean figures in Switzerland, three of whom worked at the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission in Korea, and called on them to act as a bridge between the two nations in their respective sectors.


"President Park is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with President of the Swiss Confederation Didier Burkhalter on Monday, and seek ways to strengthen cooperation in the sector of advance technology and benchmark Switzerland's educational system.
Eoh Jin-joo, Arirang News, Bern."