Visualizing East Asian Cultural Diplomacy at the Metropolitan Museum of Art



Author Information

Sumi Kim, Hanyang University, South Korea

Abstract

This paper critically examines how China, Japan, and Korea practice cultural diplomacy through their respective national galleries at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It engages museum theory and soft power discourse to evaluate how each nation projects its historical narrative, aesthetic priorities, and strategic interests through curated space. With the Met serving as a universal museum and a global cultural stage, these galleries represent not just artistic heritage but also tools of international identity formation and influence. Drawing from contemporary policy studies, comparative frameworks, and case-specific analysis, this study explores national motivations and tensions within museum diplomacy. It concludes by arguing for more integrated approaches that balance traditional heritage with modern cultural dynamics, particularly for nations such as Korea, which possess powerful contemporary cultural assets.


Paper Information

Conference: ACCS2025
Stream: Cultural Studies

This paper is part of the ACCS2025 Conference Proceedings (View)
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To cite this article:
Kim S. (2025) Visualizing East Asian Cultural Diplomacy at the Metropolitan Museum of Art ISSN: 2187-4751 – The Asian Conference on Cultural Studies 2025: Official Conference Proceedings (pp. 281-287) https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2187-4751.2025.24
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2187-4751.2025.24


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