Poster for the exhibition “The Greeks: Shaped by the Sea” INMM Korean Maritime Vice Minister Nam Jae-heon (7th from left), INMM Director Woo Dong-sik (8th from left), Greek Vice Culture Minister Jason Fotilas (6th from left) and Greek Ambassador Loukas Tsokos (5th from left) attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Incheon National Maritime Museum in Incheon on Monday. INMM South Korea and Greece have launched a major exhibition tracing nearly 6,000 years of Greek civilization and its deep connection to the sea, marking the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the Incheon National Maritime Museum are cohosting “The Greeks: Shaped by the Sea” in cooperation with Greece’s Ministry of Culture.The exhibition, which opened Tuesday, is being held in the Special Exhibition Hall of the Incheon National Maritime Museum in Wolmido Park, Incheon. The event will run through Dec. 6 and admission is free.Featuring 348 artifacts from 15 Greek national and public museums, the exhibition is the largest special exhibition on Greece ever held in South Korea. It explores the development of Greek civilization from the Neolithic Age to the era of Alexander the Great, focusing on the role of the sea in shaping Greek culture, trade, politics and society.The exhibition is divided into five sections. The first, “The Aegean Sea, ‘Mobility,’ and the Birth of the Greek World,” examines how maritime exchanges contributed to the emergence of Greek civilization through artifacts from the Cycladic, Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations.Other sections explore Greek mythology, the Olympic Games and pan-Hellenic sanctuaries, while the fifth section highlights Alexander the Great’s expeditions and the maritime trade networks of the Hellenistic world.A section titled “War and Democracy” focuses on the naval power of ancient Athens. Among the key exhibits are two bronze rams once mounted on the bows of ancient triremes and used to strike enemy ships. The Lenormand Stele, depicting a ship believed to have been a ceremonial trireme, is also being displayed in South Korea for the first time.A separate pop-up exhibition, “The First Wave,” introduces cooperation between South Korea and Greece in the shipbuilding industry.In the opening ceremony on Monday, Nam Jae-heon, vice minister of oceans and fisheries, said, “I hope this exhibition will provide an opportunity to reflect on the friendship that South Korea and Greece have built through the sea and help expand cooperation in maritime cultural heritage.”Woo Dong-shik, director of the Incheon National Maritime Museum, said, “This exhibition is even more special because South Korea and Greece have maintained close relations in the shipbuilding and maritime sectors.”Woo added that the museum is currently working with Oman to organize a special exhibition on Arab maritime heritage next year.Greek Vice Culture Minister Jason Fotilas and Greek Ambassador to South Korea Loukas Tsokos joined the opening ceremony to celebrate the exhibition. ㄴ