Glocalisation Movement in South Korea by Prof. Hwa-Seo Park Advisor to KLAFIR Greetings President of Australian Sister Cities Association, Alderman Bill Willson, Mayors & councilors from Australian local governments Distinguished overseas representatives And Ladies and Gentlemen Good morning, My name is Hwa-Seo Park and I have been working closely with KLAFIR as an International Relations Advisor for the past several years. Today, before I start my speech, I would like to say a big thank you to ASCA and the City of Gosford for their tremendous efforts in organising this great conference and inviting me to this beautiful city of Gosford. It is indeed my great honour and pleasure to address you this morning on this special occasion of the opening of the 2008 ASCA conference and I hope you find my presentation on the Glocalisation movement in Korea informative and rewarding.  1

Conceptualisation of Glocalisation Globalisation Vs Glocalisation - Macro-localisation - Micro-globalisation No matter who coined it first, at the dawn of the 21st century, globalisation as a concept, slogan, and a term is used more frequently than any other. There are many pros and cons involved with the worldwide movement toward globalization, yet one thing is clear about this phenomena: It has changed our modern lifestyle, and increased interdependency between states, races, cultures and local communities. In this modern age, there are hardly any places or cultures that can be seen as being isolated or disconnected from global processes. Whilst globalisation helped to dismantle national boundaries across the globe, the concept of “locality” itself has been specifically singled out as a consequence of this process, since a genuine form of globalisation pursues global integrity and coexistence on the basis of respect towards differences originating in other cultures. Globalisation or glocalisation, therefore, can be interpreted as an interdependent process. Simultaneous globalisation of the local and the localisation of the global can be expressed as a dual process of macro-localisation and micro-globalisation. Macro-localisation involves expanding the boundaries of locality as well as making some local ideas, practices and institutions global. Micro-globalisation involves incorporating certain global processes into the local setting, such as the feminist movement or ecological movements. Hence, I would like to conceptualise glocalisation as a revival of local cultural identity in various parts of the world, and as an important tool of local diplomacy, as it encourages people to see differences not as something that disgraces or distinguishes us from others, but something necessary to promote global unity and mutual respect. 2

Glocalisation in Korea & Role of KLAFIR As one of the pioneers in promoting local diplomacy and glocalisation, KLAFIR has been making efforts to help forge peace throughout the world and reconcile the differences and barriers existing between nations, through mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation during the last decade. Sister City exchange is one of the best tools available in bridging cultural divides and misunderstandings. therefore, KLAFIR will continue to support such relationships through fostering a friendly atmosphere for our global community members and we are confident that this will further consolidate mutual trust and cooperation with our overseas partners. Glocalisation however, is not limited to one form of local level cultural exchanges. We believe greater learning, sharing and transferring of valuable cross-cultural information can be achieved in any field, in any form, at any time, as long as exchanges are based on well-grounded, mutual understanding by all members within communities, cities and governments. 3

Glocalisation Strategies Case Study: Goseong’s Glocalisation Strategies Today, KLAFIR has brought a delegation from a rural city in Korea called Goseong, and they will show you how they have been successfully situated in the centre of the glocalisation movement through the promotion of their cultural assets and natural heritage. 4

Brief Introduction However before they do that, I would like to briefly introduce to you why KLAFIR chose Goseong as the best example of the Korean local governments’ glocalisation movement. 5

Brief Introduction The Southern end of Korean Peninsula, connected to Pacific Ocean. area of 517 Km2 population of 56,000 very well known for “the land of Dinosaur” (World Dinosaur Expo was held in 2006) Goseong Five Clown Mask Dance (Korea’s No7 intangible cultural heritage) Goseong is located at the southwestern end of Gyeongnam province in Korea, with 56,000 people populating an area of 516 km2. Goseong is renowned for its breathtaking coastline, a variety of different dinosaur foot print fossils from Cretaceous Period of Mesozoic era, and as being home to Korea’s No 7 intangible cultural heritage called the Goseong Five Clown Mask Dance. 6

Yacht resort in the Danghangpo Bay Glocalisation through Natural Assets Yacht resort in the Danghangpo Bay The Mediterranean Sea of Korean Peninsula ▶ the least affected area by typhoon in Korea (Most of the Naval Ships are moored during the typhoon) Nicknamed the Mediterranean Sea of Korea, Goseong boasts a large, clean, and safe inner sea area as you see from the screen The Mediterranean Sea Danghangpo Bay 7

(Designated by Korean Government on July 16, 2007) Glocalisation through Natural Assets Special Region of Shipbuilding Industry (Designated by Korean Government on July 16, 2007) Middle-size Ship building yard Large-size Ship building yard and recently, Goseong was designated by the central government as the shipbuilding industry development zone thanks to its strategic location and wealth of marine resources. Block building yard Shipbuilding complex zone (residence, ship building yard, hotel etc) 8

Glocalisation through Natural Assets The Sketch of the Yacht Facilities in the Danghangpo Bay Yacht Repair/ Maintenance Yard Mooring Facilities (2,600 ships) Yacht Display and Sales Center Mooring Facilities (2,400 ships) Canal Construction Yacht Building Yard Yacht Marine School Marine Youth Center In developing the Master Plan to build a globally competitive marine technology park, Yacht resort complexes and shipbuilding industrial sites, Goseong is proactively seeking to broaden its partnerships with overseas counterparts- particularly in Australia and China. 1st Stage 2nd Stage 9

Glocalisation through Cultural Assets: Goseong’s Five Clown Mask Dance Korea’s traditional masked dancing performance Korea’s No.7 Intangible Cultural Assets Invited to USA, Spain, Czechoslovakia, Japan, China, Mongolia, Cambodia, Taiwan Goseong is blessed with a wealth of amazing cultural assets from its 2000-year-long history, yet its local culture is believed to be best presented through Goseong’s Five-Clown Mask Dance. At times one’s beliefs, thoughts, and emotions can be more effectively communicated through body motion, and Goseong’s Clown Dancing tells us a unique story about its local residents who lived in a strict, hierarchical society but refused to lose their compassion towards other human beings- presumably thanks to the comforts they got from its inherited natures of vast farmlands and seawater. Now, the unique local culture from Goseong’s Five-Clown Mask Dance is acknowledged and enjoyed by its neighbors all across the world on a yearly basis. 10

The 1st Dinosaur World Expo in 2006 Glocalisation through Local Festival: Tailoring local festivals to international taste The 1st Dinosaur World Expo in 2006 Goseong: “the land of dinosaur” - world’s biggest dinosaur footprint fossil sites April 14 - June 4, 2006(52 days) Theme: Dinosaur, the Earth and the Mystery Visited by 1.5 million tourist Finally, I would like to talk about a great success scored by Goseong, in their strategy to internationalise its local festival in conjunction with its overseas partners. Goseong is well known as “the land of dinosaur” and has been designated as home to some of world’s biggest dinosaur footprint fossil sites, followed by Colorado in the US, and the west coast of Argentina. Utilizing this resource, Goseong decided to upgrade its Local Dinosaur Festival to an international Expo, and the first Dinosaur World Expo held in 2006 achieved great success, attracting more than 1,540,000 visitors from home and abroad. Gyeongnam Goseong Dinosaur World Expo Main Venue Special Venue 11

The 2nd Dinosaur World Expo in 2009 Glocalisation through Local Festival: Tailoring local festivals to international taste The 2nd Dinosaur World Expo in 2009 March 27 - June 7, 2009(73 days) Theme: The Amazing Dinosaur World where your imagination comes to life. Inspired by such a sensational achievement, Goseong now plans to host its second “Goseong Dinosaur World Expo” for 73 days from March 27 to June 7 in 2009 under the theme “The Amazing world of Dinosaur in Our Imagination”. 12

Thank You! Introduction of Goseong’s Vice Mayor & performance To give us more details about these incredible achievements by Goseong, I would like to hand on this delightful role to the honourable Vice Mayor of Goseong, Mr. Yong-Hak Lee. I would also like to re-emphasize that KLAFIR is always committed to helping you develop strong and healthy relationships with the Korean government, and we look forward to working closely with you in the near future. I hope you enjoy the rest of the conference, particularly the upcoming presentation and Mask Dance performance by Goseong’s delegation. Thank you very much. 13