Korea, Mexico sign culture MOU, add tourism pact

South Korea's culture ministry said it signed a memorandum of understanding on cultural cooperation with Mexico, expanding a partnership long centered on film and publishing into the creative industries, the arts and cultural institutions.

The agreement was reached during a meeting between Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Choe Hwi-young, Park Jin-young, a co-chair of the committee on popular culture exchanges, and Mexican Culture Minister Claudia Curiel de Icaza.

"I am pleased that this summit has produced such a meaningful result in the form of a cultural cooperation MOU between the two countries' culture ministries," Choe said. "I hope cooperation will continue in a range of areas, including expanding exchanges in culture and the arts and industries, supporting joint creation and production, and jointly nurturing talent."

The two sides agreed to set up a working group on joint creation and production, talent development and the use of cultural facilities such as K-culture centers. Curiel de Icaza said she shared the view that cultural and sports cooperation between the two countries needs to be strengthened, and that she looked forward to joint production of films and television programs.

Park said demand for K-pop performances in Mexico is high and that the two countries need to cooperate on building popular culture performance facilities there.

The culture ministry also signed a separate tourism cooperation MOU with Mexico's tourism ministry, under which the two countries will work to expand people-to-people exchanges, including the sharing of policy, statistics and market information.