Dongducheon, Gyeonggi-do is hosting the 'PLAY FOR PEACE_DMZ UNITY FESTA: Visiting the Birthplace of K-Culture' from December 5 to 6.

The event aims to build a platform that broadcasts a message of peace on the Korean Peninsula to the global market, utilizing digital content such as games, webtoons, and video to shed new light on the value of the DMZ border regions.

The program is split into two distinct tracks: Track 1 (Connect & Share), which facilitates dialogue between academia and industry, and Track 2 (Critique & Collaborate), focused on content creation and business networking.

On the 5th, the 'Korea-China-Japan K-Culture Colloquium' kicks off. Attendees include representatives from Sony Music, BitSummit, and the Korea-China Corporate Association, alongside current and former experts from Westworld, Dexter, NC, Nexon, Netmarble, and Kakao. They will discuss international content collaboration strategies themed around K-culture and peace.

Following this, the 'K-Culture Hackathon' takes place at the Dongducheon Lifelong Learning Center and Dongyang University Central Library, where university students from northern Gyeonggi and indie developers will create games, videos, and webtoons infused with messages of peace from the DMZ.

On the 6th, the hackathon participants will undergo professional mentoring and pitching sessions. Winners will receive the 'Peace K-Culture Awards' and opportunities for Korea-China-Japan co-development. The event concludes with the colloquium experts issuing a 'Joint Proposal Statement for Korea-China-Japan Projects,' alongside a special exhibition featuring former pro-gamer 'Kuro' Lee Seo-haeng.

Professor Kim Woo-jae, Head of the Gyeonggi RISE Project Group at Dongyang University, stated: "This festa serves as a vital bridgehead to brand the DMZ border region as a cultural and tourism hub, while laying the groundwork for domestic talent to expand overseas through joint Korea-China-Japan creations."

Professor Kim Jung-tae of the College of SW Convergence at Dongyang University added: "We are committed to building a sustainable regional revitalization model by fusing regional tourism resources, content, and AI technology related to K-culture."