​Veteran actress Chung Ae-rie appointed as ambassador for International Day of Yoga

[Photograph by Park Sae-jin]

SEOUL -- Veteran actress Chung Ae-rie was appointed as an ambassador for the International Day of Yoga designed to highlight the importance of Yoga, a physical, mental, and spiritual practice originated from India. The 63-year-old actress said that she thinks Yoga is a mental and spiritual tool that can shape the world into a more peaceful place.
 
International Yoga Day has been celebrated across the world since June 21, 2015, after it was incepted in the United Nations General Assembly in 2014. As of April 2023, there were more than 300 million people who practiced Yoga on a regular basis. Because the ancient Indian practice does not require much space, it is favored by many people who live in urban areas as well as rural areas.
 
The Indian Embassy in South Korea held a press briefing event at the embassy's cultural center near central Seoul on June 5 and appointed Chung and Kim Tae-hoon, a famous pop-culture critic, as ambassadors for the International Day of Yoga.
 
"Yoga is an ancient heritage from India. There are misconceptions that Yoga is only viewed as a physical exercise. It is much more. The practice of Yoga embodies the unity of mind and body, heart and action. It is also a ballistic approach that is valuable to our health and well-being," Amit Kumar, the Indian Ambassador to South Korea, told reporters.
 
The ambassador said special events where thousands of people will gather to participate in mass-Yoga performances in Seoul, the southern port city of Busan, the southern city of Gwangju, and the resort island of Jeju, will take place later this month.  
 
"I look forward to meeting people at upcoming Yoga events later this month. Let us come together in the community to embrace the practice of Yoga and its transformative impact," Ambassador Kumar said.