South Korea

In the Netherlands the national cultural funds offer incentives for international cultural cooperation. Below you will find an overview of the different funds, which cover various disciplines. To make sure an incentive is a match with your project, contact the advisors of the fund before starting the process of application. These are funds:

Creative Industries Fund NL 
for Design, Creative Industries, Architecture, Digital Culture
> Grant Program for Internationalisation

Mondriaan Fund 
for Visual Arts
> Subsidy for foreign contemporary art platforms to present work by Dutch(-based) living artists. Invited artists can also apply
> Travel grants to travel to foreign contemporary art platforms for a lecture, workshop or performance

Performing Arts Fund 
for Performing Arts (theater, dance, music, opera)
> Grants for foreign organisations to invite Dutch(-based) artists
> Internationalisation grants for Dutch(-based) artists

Dutch Film Fund 
for Audiovisual media, Film, Documentary
The Film Fund has several subsidy schemes to support co-productions and distribution (film & documentary)

Dutch Foundation for Literature
The Dutch Foundation for Literature has several subsidies for internationalisation:
> Translation grants for foreign publishers
> Travel grants

Cultural Participation Fund 
for Communal arts, cooperation, projects with non-professionals
> The development grant within the international cooperation scheme by the Cultural Participation Fund is available for all disciplines and designated for finding partners abroad
 
Netherlands Enterprise Agency
for the Creative Industries

Looking for more funding options? DutchCulture’s Cultural Mobility Funding Guide offers the most complete overview of funding possibilities for international mobility and exchange for artists and cultural professionals in the Netherlands.

In South Korea, the Ministry of Culture, Sport & Tourism supports the Korea Arts Management Service (which provides mobility grants, partnership with international festivals and cultural organisations, and associated international services for performing arts) and Arts Council Korea, (which funds Korean input to international cultural events, as well as arts residency opportunities). The Ministry of Foreign Affairs promotes public and cultural diplomacy initiatives and is responsible for its chief instrument for academic, cultural and intellectual exchange, the Korea Foundation.

Several Korean cities are networked internationally through culture, as are cultural organisations from both public and private sectors. In the capital city of Seoul, the municipal government suports the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture. It seeks to contribute to domestic and global expansion of Korean artists and arts organizations in partnership with outstanding culture and arts organizations around the globe.

Since 2012, the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) and On the Move (OTM) have jointly presented the Mobility Funding Guides for International Cultural Exchange for the 51 countries of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), which includes South Korea. These guides provide a comprehensive and updated list of funding opportunities for the cultural mobility of artists and cultural practitioners in Asia and Europe, where cultural mobility is defined as “the temporary cross-border movement of artists and other cultural professionals.” You can find the Mobility Funding Guide for South Korea here.

Citizens from the Netherlands do not need a visa to enter the Republic of Korea for tourism purposes (‘visa exemption’). Upon arrival in South Korea via one of the international airports or harbours, you will receive a tourist visa in the form of a sticker on your passport. With a tourist visa you are allowed to stay in South Korea for a maximum of 90 days. For some, non-public, cultural activities a tourist visa may be sufficient. You can find more information on the visa website of the Korean Embassy in The Hague.

If your stay includes paid activities such as performances or concerts, you may have to apply for a Short Term Employment Visa. You can find more information here on the website of the Korean Embassy in The Hague.

We recommend you to inform the Embassy of the Netherlands in Seoul about your visit.

If you have a passport from outside the EU, it is wise to check the rules with your country´s representatives in the Netherlands, or ask the DutchCulture Mobility Info Point.

Find out exactly what the rules are that a gallery, stage or theatre upholds, before engaging in a cooperation. If you find obstacles on your way, you will have enough time to apply for permits or find other solutions.

Disclaimer: The information given above is mainly provided by the Korean authorities. In case of any doubt or further questions, please contact the Korean Embassy in The Hague. 

The area between North Korea and South Korea (Demilitarized Zone, DMZ) is only accessible in an organized context. Tropical storms and typhoons can occur in South Korea in August and September. In the winter months it can snow heavily. Be sure to stay up to date with the most recent travel advise issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, see here. This website also informs you on security risks, traffic safety, recommended travel vaccinations, etcetera. You can also download the Travel app of the Ministry to stay up to date and inform them on your travel plans.

Your local partner in the cultural field in South Korea may prove to be a valid, on-the-ground advisor when it comes to the current situation in the area that you are visiting.

It is a good idea to engage local professionals and publicists that have an understanding of your art discipline, audience and region. There are many Dutch cultural professionals and organizations that are active in South Korea or may have relevant experiences that can be useful for your own project. Using existing networks may also help you in promoting your work.

Make sure to contact the Netherlands Embassy in Seoul to inform them about your projects, and do not forget to let DutchCulture know! This way you will be included in our Database and become part of our network.

Through the DutchCulture Database you can figure out which artists from the Netherlands have worked at which venues, and start your research there. Go to the search icon on the upper left corner of the website, and search by discipline, country and city.

For residencies in South Korea, the organisation Transartists, which is a part of DutchCulture, is a great research tool. In order to successfully build an international career, and in order to find sustainable partners in a country, it is always wise to spend more than a few days somewhere. Residencies, which can last from a couple of weeks up to several months, can help you achieve this.