Daily Times

A seminar titled Hyecho in Gandhara – Footsteps of a Korean Monk In the 8th Century will take place on October 4, 2018. The seminar organised by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea will highlight the historical and cultural linkages between the Korean and Pakistani people centuries ago. Three eminent scholars in this field, Dr Muhammad Farooq Swati, Dr Esther Park and Dr So Gilsu will speak at the seminar, shedding light on the travelogue of the Korean monk Hyecho who came to Pakistan in the 8th Century. The scholars will also highlight the impact of his travel on the spread of Buddhism in the Korean peninsula and the surrounding areas.

The introduction of Buddhism into Korea dates far back to 384CE. In the centuries that followed, interactions such as travel of Hyecho may have influenced on the prosperity of Buddhism in Korea. That is why even today, an increasing number of Koreans still visit Gandhara in Pakistan on Buddhist pilgrimage. The seminar of this year is following the exhibition titled Gandhara through International Cooperation in Korea in 2017, which showcased relics from Peshawar Museum and attracted many visitors from abroad. In the intermission of the seminar, there is a Korean traditional performance called Sunbi Dance. Sunbi refers to academia in Josun Dynasty, who focused on studying with neither any official position nor rewards.

On the occasion, Korean Ambassador Kwak Sung-Kyu introduces “co-project for preservation and treatment of cultural relics” which is progressing between the Korean and the Pakistan governments. He also commits and offers to further work together, on the federal or provincial government level, to enhance the cultural interactions and people-to-people exchanges in the coming days.

Published in Daily Times, September 27^th 2018.