The 2021 China (Qufu) International Confucius Cultural Festival and the 7th Nishan Forum on World Civilizations opened in Qufu, Shandong, on September 27th. Nearly 200 Chinese and international experts and scholars engaged in debates and exchanges of views under the theme of “Dialogue among Civilizations and Global Cooperation” within two days.

Kim Jingon (Minister-Counselor of the ROK Embassy in China)

We can not praise too much the influence of Confucius over the whole world

Kim Jingon believes that Confucius’ influence on the world cannot be overstated or praised too much. “The Spring and Autumn Period when Confucius lived was an era of ideological emancipation and an era of new ideas. The Chinese character of Confucianism refers to the need of humanity. Confucius said that to meet such needs, we must resort to benevolence and rituals which differ human from animals."

Kim Jingon said that ROK and China can better leverage Confucian culture to carry out in-depth exchanges and move toward closer cooperation. "It is very meaningful to share Confucian thought and culture with the world through the forum."