추석 페스티발

REMARKS BY CONSUL GENERAL PARK on THE OCCASION OF

KOREA CHUSEOK FESTIVAL 2007

DARLING HARBOUR

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Ladies and gentlemen,

 

It is a pleasure to welcome you to the Korea Chuseok Festival today.

The festival of Chuseok is an important event in the Korean calendar.  It is our thanksgiving festival, which takes place during the harvest period in Korea.   Over a three day period, families gather together, prepare communal feasts, and visit their ancestral graves. 

 

In the past, when Korea was primarily an agrarian society, Chuseok celebrated the conclusion of a successful and abundant harvest, in anticipation of winter.  In our modern age, Chuseok is an opportunity for families to take time out of their busy schedules to reconnect and give thanks for their good fortune.   So although it is springtime in Australia, this is why we celebrate Chuseok here.   

 

To my fellow Koreans who are here today, I would like to bid an especially warm welcome.  I encourage you to take some time to renew your memories of your hometown and for the younger generation, to learn about the customs of your mother country. 

 

I am also very pleased that the Australian community has been invited to share in Chuseok celebrations this year.  Thanks for your participation.  I hope it gives you a deeper understanding and appreciation of Korean culture. 

 

Many wonderful activities have been scheduled over the next two days.  I hope you will be entertained by the well-known Korean theatre ensemble ‘Nanta’, and enjoy the exhibition of Korean traditional arts and craft and authentic Korean food on offer.  There will be something for everyone at this festival.

 

We are very fortunate to be able to celebrate this and other customs in this country.  As an example of successful multiculturalism, Australia leads the world.  In very few countries will you encounter people from so many cultures living together in largely harmonious and tolerant communities.  

 

Moreover, in the spirit of multiculturalism, Australia is a friend to its Asian neighbours, particularly Korea.  The bilateral relationship between the two countries is strong and continues to deepen across many fields, including trade and investment, education and culture.  I hope that this sharing of the Chuseok Festival will contribute to the strengthening of bilateral relations further.

 

Before closing, I would like to acknowledge the efforts of the Korean Tourism Organisation, the Korean Society of Sydney and the Australian Korean Culture Foundation for organizing this festival, which we hope will become an annual event.   I thank all of you for your attendance today and hope that you enjoy the program.

Thank you