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| The interior of the KOICA Exhibition Hall / Courtesy of KOICA |
By Kang Seung-woo
The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) Exhibition Hall, which offers information and activities on development cooperation, was opened at the agency's headquarters in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, with an opening ceremony, Wednesday.
The KOICA Exhibition Hall was established to promote official development assistance (ODA) and KOICA to the Korean people and emphasize the role of development cooperation in addressing global challenges. The hall seeks to raise interest in sustainability and encourage people's participation.
The KOICA Exhibition Hall consists of five sections: Prologue, Permanent Exhibition, Special Exhibition, Multimedia Experience and Epilogue. The space is designed to display KOICA's growth along with the ODA history of Korea, global issues linked to KOICA's main sectors and the importance of values, the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and international development cooperation in solving global problems.
The KOICA Exhibition Hall was previously operated since June 2010 as the KOICA Global Village, hosting 12 exhibitions and activities and attracting some 368,570 visitors. Operations were suspended in early 2020 due to COVID-19 but the space has reopened after renovations.
While the KOICA Global Village focused on information on the cultures of partner countries and various hands-on activities, the KOICA Exhibition Hall spotlights international issues such as climate change and the significance of international development cooperation, as spearheaded by KOICA. The hall features exhibitions and education programs on solving problems in partner countries through international development cooperation, mainly targeting young adults.
Through digital techniques including media art and QR codes, visitors can engage in activity-centered interactive exhibits and thus learn about international development cooperation and ODA in an easy, entertaining way.
The theme of this exhibit is "A Sustainable Future is Coming (ODA)," highlighting international efforts for a sustainable world. The exhibition highlights efforts by Korea and the international community to solve problems in development cooperation, KOICA's efforts as a leading global development cooperation agency and a feature display on the SDGs. The special exhibition focuses on SDG 13 (Climate Action), highlighting ways forward for future generations and possible solutions through development cooperation.
Additionally, education and experience programs will be available for parents and children to learn about sustainable social roles and career development.
The KOICA Exhibition Hall is open from Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and admission is free.
"The KOICA Exhibition Hall, which has been renewed after a three-year hiatus, is designed to inform the public on the efforts and achievements of development cooperation implemented by Korea and to experience tasks that require our everyday efforts through digital media technology," said Lee Yun Young, acting president of KOICA.
