1. The Foreign Ministry has selected the “people as public diplomats” projects for the year 2016. In the projects, people of the Republic of Korea serve as actors of public diplomacy. After a 14:1 competition, 12 projects were chosen from the 172 entries. The Foreign Ministry will provide up to 20 million won for each project.

2. The projects chosen to be conducted in 2016 involve a wide range of areas, including Korean folk tales that have remained relatively little known across the world, architecture, public art, creative animation and science education. They are expected to help further broaden the scope of the ROK’s cultural diplomacy.

3. Many of the selected projects are designed to introduce Korean culture to developing countries in Asia and Africa.

4. The projects to be held in the US, Canada and Latin America by local Koreans will also help lay the groundwork for sustainable public diplomacy.

5. Going forward, the Foreign Ministry will more actively implement the “people as public diplomats” projects and other public diplomacy activities together with the people and thereby put to active use the ROK people’s capacity for civilian diplomacy.


* unofficial translation