Korea Arts Management Service (KAMS), since 2007, annually survey and report the status of international exchange of Korea with countries abroad. The baseline of this survey is the exchanges in 2010, and the range of the survey is performing arts such as theatre, dance, music, and Korean traditional performing arts. The international exchange activities for survey are limited to the actual performance of the works rather than the interactions among people and workshops.

Slight Increase of Overseas Entry by Korean Organizations

Overseas activities by Korean performing arts companies were found to be 715 cases, and activities in Korea by overseas performing arts companies were found to be 1,608 cases. Overseas activities by Korean performing arts companies showed slight increase for 3 consecutive years, but activities in Korea by overseas performing arts organizations was found to have declined in 2009 and had made a sharp recovery in 2010.

Number of International Exchanges in Performing Arts

Active Exchange among Domestic Traditional Arts Organizations and Overseas Music Organizations

When international exchange activities of domestic and overseas performing arts are observed, it was found that Korean performing arts companies in traditional arts genre and the overseas performing arts companies in music genre had the most international exchanges. These two genres continuously show the most cases for every survey each year, and the reason seems to be that the traditional arts genre encompasses all forms such as theatre (Korean traditional opera, traditional outdoor play, etc.), Korean dance, and Korean traditional music. In addition, the music genre unlike theatre and dance genres that require stage equipment and various props have relatively low performance constraints, and thus it is possible to explain the most exchange cases through such reasons.

2010 International Exchanges according to Genres

Exchange Activities Focused in Europe

Exchanges with Europe are the most prominent, looking at exchanges by continents. Out of the 469 Korean performing arts companies that are being surveyed, 194 performing organizations had 270 performances in 28 countries in Europe, and the ratio by countries were found to be 16% Germany, 15% Spain, and 13% Russia. Also, 432 performing arts organizations from 34 countries in Europe was found to have had 843 performances in various regions in Korea, and the ratio of performing countries was 22% France, 15% Russia, and 13% Germany.

Inbound and Outbound Activities for International Exchange by Continent in 2010

Classification and Distribution of Outbound Activities by Continent and Nation in 2010

Distribution of Inbound Activities by Continent and Nation in 2010

Festivals, the Medium for Overseas and Domestic Entry

In 2010, 166 organizations, which are 60.6% of the total number of 274 domestic performing arts organizations, had entered into overseas market through festivals. There is about 10% increase compared to the survey in 2009 which showed that 124 organizations, 50.7% of the total number of 245 domestic performing arts organizations, had participated in overseas festivals. There is a 20% increase in the entry of overseas organizations into Korea through festivals compared to 2009 and 2010. This can be seen as 352 organizations, which are 54% of the total 652 organizations, was found to have entered into Korea through festivals according 2009 survey, while 647 organizations that amount to 74.1% of the total 874 organizations was found to have entered into Korea through festivals in 2010. This explains the strengthening of the important role which the festivals of performing arts are playing in the international exchange.