SGC Cultural Foundation sponsors run marking 140 years of Korea-France ties

SGC Cultural Foundation announced Monday that it served as the main sponsor of the "France-Korea 140th Anniversary Diplomatic Relations Run."

The event, hosted by the French Embassy in Korea on Thursday at UNICEF Square in Mapo-gu, Seoul, drew about 650 participants — middle and high school students as well as adults from both South Korea and France.

Runners set off from UNICEF Square and tackled courses of 2.5 kilometers, 5 kilometers and 10 kilometers through the area around Haneul Park. The event was organized with the cooperation of Mapo-gu and the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, along with various educational institutions in France and South Korea, which encouraged student participation.

SGC Cultural Foundation operated an event booth at the venue, offering commemorative gifts — including sports gym bags, beverages and energy bars, and CJ Olive Young gift cards — through roulette and Instagram follow events. The foundation also gave out VIP invitations to its autumn concert, to be held at Seoul's Seocho Culture and Arts Center in November, as prize draws.

Beyond the foundation's booth, the venue featured a range of cultural experiences from both countries: a pétanque zone showcasing the traditional French lawn-bowling game, a food and drink area offering French-made peanut butter, a traditional Korean archery experience, and a photo zone.

"It was deeply meaningful to connect with participants of different generations and nationalities at an event celebrating the 140th anniversary of Korea-France diplomatic relations," a foundation official said. "We plan to expand our support for cultural and arts activities that more citizens can take part in, and to work toward building an open cultural ecosystem."

As an official sponsor of cultural and arts events marking the 140th anniversary of France-Korea diplomatic relations in 2026, SGC Cultural Foundation is supporting bilateral cultural cooperation not only through this run but also across a range of fields in Korea, including music, film, drama series, webtoons and digital art.