By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo

Bucheon City signed a business agreement with the French Embassy in Korea and the Korea Comics and Animation Promotion Agency at the Bucheon City Hall on Nov. 14 to promote artist exchanges in the graphic art field. This agreement was initiated to commemorate the 140th anniversary of Korea-France diplomatic relations in 2026.

Through this agreement, the three institutions will jointly promote international artistic exchanges across all graphic arts, including illustration, comics, and graphic novels.

They will operate a three-month long-term residency program together, which includes inviting artists, providing living spaces, and supporting access to creative infrastructure and event participation.

Participating artists will introduce their work through lectures and workshops and also engage in exchange programs with citizens.

Under this agreement, the city will establish a cooperative framework throughout the entire process, including artist recruitment and selection, creative activity support, and community engagement, aiming to create a new model for operating cultural and artistic residencies. It also plans to invite French artists to its cultural residency program next June.

Furthermore, Bucheon City anticipates that this initiative will invigorate international exchanges in the graphic arts field by leveraging the infrastructure of the Korea Comics and Animation Institute, thereby expanding synergies in international exchange.

It is also projected that this Korea-France collaborative residency will strengthen cultural diplomacy centered on graphic arts and establish itself as an international cultural exchange platform fostering a virtuous cycle of creation, distribution, and education.

Meanwhile, as a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network for Literature, the city has actively exchanged with French cities like Angoulême and Lyon, steadily expanding global cultural cooperation through literature.

Moving forward, the city plans to continuously expand international cooperation projects centered on literature and art, further strengthening its status as a cultural city.