As members of the Global Peace Cities Solidarity, Jeju and Osnabrück held a musical exchange concert for peace in the main theater of Jeju Culture & Art Center on the 17th of last month.

Through this exchange event, the choir of Theater Osnabrück in Germany, which was visiting Jeju to attend the Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity, collaborated with Jeju-based musicians to hold a concert to express the desire for peace.

The Island of World Peace Jeju and the European City of Peace Osnabrück presented a healing experience for Jeju residents by showcasing a collaborative performance by vocalists and violinists on the theme of peace.

Osnabrück, Germany is the hometown of Erich Maria Remarque, a master of war literature, and the benchmark that Jeju used as a city of peace at the time of its designation as the Island of World Peace in 2005. As such, the city of Osnabrück conducts numerous studies, conferences, and exhibitions on war and peace, in addition to active overseas exchanges through its choir and orchestra performances.

A Jeju resident who attended the concert expressed, “The message of peace and harmony conveyed by musicians from the two peace cities aptly represented the two cities’ commitment to peace through art and culture,” and added, “I hope there will be many more opportunities to experience peace through culture.”

Meanwhile, throughout the duration of Jeju Forum, a joint music concert for peace was held between Jeju and Osnabrück as part of the joint projects for the Global Peace Cities Solidarity.

Held over three days during the Jeju Forum period from the 14th to the 16th, this joint music concert showcased joint performances during breaks in Pongnang Lounge and garnered positive responses from attendants at Jeju Forum. These performances were small in scale, mainly involving vocal duets.

A participant at the forum remarked, “Being able to enjoy culture during breaks after focusing on presentations and discussions in each session made the forum into a more robust experience,” and added, “In particular, it is evident that Jeju strived hard as the Island of World Peace to present a diverse range of programs to be enjoyed by Jeju residents for the goal of fostering peace.”

Director Oh Seong-ryul of the Jeju Culture and Sports External Cooperation Department commented, “We sought to partner with Osnabrück, the European City of Peace, to express our desire for reconciliation and coexistence, as the second joint project of the Global Peace Cities Solidarity,” and added, “From next year, we will fully dedicate ourselves towards broadening such venues of cultural exchanges to enhance the robustness of joint projects for the Global Peace Cities Solidarity.”

The Global Peace Cities Solidarity is an international consultative organization led by Jeju with two European Cities of Peace, namely Osnabrück, Germany and Verdun, France.