Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Maggie Barry says two cultural exchanges between New Zealand and Korea this year will have cultural and economic benefits for both countries.

'Rotorua's Te Arawa Cultural Group are performing in front hundreds of thousands of people at two festivals in Korea this month, and later in the year Korean cultural performers will take the stage at the city's first Mudtopia Festival,” says Maggie.

'Mudtopia is set to showcase the Rotorua district's Maori culture, geothermal landscape and spa industry and is being supported with $1.5 million over five years from the government's Major Events Development fund.”

The 15-member Te Arawa group performed at the Boryeong Mud Festival's 20th anniversary celebrations on July 21-22 and at the Hadong Seomjin River Festival on July 23.

'Earlier this year at Te Matatini I met Professor Gang Hoan Jeong, who founded the Boryeong Mud Festival 20 years ago. Professor Jeong is currently on sabbatical here and is working with the Rotorua Lakes Council on the development of the new Mudtopia event in December.

'The Te Arawa group travelled to Korea by invitation of the Boryeong and Hadong City Governments, with $44,000 support from New Zealand's Cultural Diplomacy International Programme as well as from the International Festival and Events Association Korea Branch.”