Jan Janszn. Weltevree | Jan Janszoon Weltevree | Pak Yon | De Rijp | Korea

This year the annual commemoration was held on 26 August under extraordinary circumstances. But despite all the corona restrictions and the violent storm, it has been a successful meeting. This time it took place in the Grote Kerk in De Rijp with a very limited number of guests. The whole was musically supported by the pianist Tae Youn Kim and organist / carillonneur Christiaan Winter.

It was the first time that ambassador HE Yeondoo Jeong visited De Rijp and he indicated that he was very impressed by the beautiful village. During his speech he emphasized the great importance of these commemorations. He also recalled that in 2021 it will be commemorated that there will be 60 years of diplomatic relations between Korea and the Netherlands.

Deputy Mayor of Alkmaar Mr. Pieter Dijkman spoke on behalf of the Municipality of Alkmaar. He welcomed the ambassador to the municipality and he also mentioned the importance of the work of the Jan Janszn. Weltevree / Pak Yon Foundation.

Then came Mr Ger Welbers, director of Alkmaar Marketing. In a clear statement he outlined the tourist highlights of the municipality: The city of Alkmaar with its canals and historic buildings, the nearby beach, the polder with its windmills and the historic village of De Rijp. The Netherlands in a nutshell.

Because of the storm, the ambassador could not place the flowers in front of the statue this time. That is why this ceremony also took place in the church.

Exhibition

At the end of the meeting, the opening of the exhibition with work by three Korean artists took place. Moe Kim, Hailey Kim and Sungjae Joo all graduated from the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague. Moe Kim and Hailey Kim in the Textile & Fashion Department, Sungjae Joo in the Photography Department. This exhibition can be viewed until September 20, 2020.