Finding strength in difference, Korea marks cultural diversity week

At a time when shifting demographics and globalization are subtly reshaping the social fabric of Korea, the country is launching a weeklong initiative to explore what it means to coexist. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in partnership with the Korea Arts & Culture Education Service, inaugurated 2026 Cultural Diversity Week on Thursday. The annual event, which runs through Wednesday, aligns with the United Nations’ World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development. Under this year’s theme, “When the Culture Within Me Shines,” organizers are steering away from rigid definitions of multiculturalism. Instead, the campaign frames the personal experiences, values and sensibilities of the individual as the true building blocks of cultural variety — cutting across national boundaries, ethnicity, geography and generation. The intellectual anchor of the week is a series of curated talk concerts at the National Museum of Korea. On Saturday, You Hong-june, the museum’s director, will open the public dialogue with a lecture titled “Cultural Diversity: Flowing C

Original source: Korea Times