An interview with Mr. Jae-ho Lim of the Sunchang International Association!
As part of this year’s Osumi Lakeside Festival held on Sunday October 14th, members of the Sunchang International Association performed a traditional Korean dance called ‘Samul Nori’.
We talked to Mr. Jae-ho Lim of the Sunchang International Association about their international exchange efforts in Korea.
Mr. Lim (far left) and the Samul Nori Performance Group
KIEA: Please tell us a bit about the Sunchang International Association.
Mr. Lim: The Sunchang International Association was founded in 1998 with the goal of furthering internationalisation in and around Sunchang. We currently have around 40 members, and we’re putting most of our efforts into organising homestays and international exchanges.
KIEA: Are all the Samul Nori performers here today members of the association?
Mr. Lim: No, only two of them are members. Everyone else is from a Samul Nori performance group.
The Samul Nori dancers perform for the residents of Midori-no-en
KIEA: Please tell us a little about your visit to Kanoya.
Mr. Lim: This trip resulted from the links we established during a visit to Kihoku 13 years ago. During that trip we entertained the residents of the Midori-no-en nursing home by performing Samul Nori.
Asides from performing at Midori-no-en again, this time we wanted to introduce Korean culture and Samul Nori to the large audiences at the Osumi Lakeside festival.
KIEA: In general what type of international exchange activities do you organise?
Mr. Lim: At a basic level we host various groups from abroad. Up to now we have held exchanges with many cities in Japan; for example, we previously hosted a group from Minamikyushu city. We hope to stay proactive in organising these exchanges with different towns around the world.
KIEA: Would you mind telling us about your plans from here on?
Mr. Lim: If there are any towns or groups that want to participate in international exchanges, then we would love to hold some sort of exchange with them. We’re also planning more overseas homestays for kids.
From the interviewer
The Sunchang International Association was founded in 1998, and our own Kanoya International Exchange Association was founded in 1996, so these two groups can be thought of as sisters.
Observing the activities of similar groups from other countries can help to motivate us in our own activities. We can learn a lot from the proactive stance of these groups. I’d like us all to keep working energetically on exchange activities aimed at furthering internationalisation in our region.
(Makoto Maenohara, KIEA Secretary)