Seoul welcomes release of Korean film in China

Seoul, 02 December. (Yonhap) – The return of South Korean cinema to Chinese theaters for the first time in six years is seen as a positive sign that the two countries are boosting cultural dialogue, an official said on Thursday.

The movie “Oh! My Cron, starring actress Na Moon-hee, is set to hit theaters in China tomorrow. This is the first Korean film to be screened in a neighboring country since 2015, after “Assassination”.

“We consider (the release of the film) a positive development,” the foreign ministry official said. “We have on many occasions expressed our views on the cultural content to the Chinese side and hope that the suggestions will lead to more positive actions.”

The prediction sparked hopes that Beijing would be able to lift its restrictions on Korean content in protest of Seoul’s decision to maintain the U.S. missile defense system in 2016.

With the 30th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations approaching next year, Seoul is working closely with Beijing to promote cultural exchanges to create a friendly environment, the official said.

The issue of bilateral cultural exchanges was discussed at three rounds of diplomatic talks between the two countries this year and at a high-level economic meeting held earlier this week via video conference.