India opened its cultural center in Dugu-dong, Busan, Friday, in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of its diplomatic ties with Korea.

It is the fourth foreign cultural center to open in Busan after France, Germany and the Philippines.

The center is a three-story building with a total floor space of about 400 square meters. The first floor is a parking lot. The second floor has an auditorium and the third one an exhibition hall and an office.

The center plans to introduce facets of Indian culture including movies of various genres and traditional songs and dances.

Busan and Mumbai, both well known for film festivals, have been actively engaged in exchanges since they became sister cities in 2011.

India held diverse cultural events this year to mark four decades of its friendly relations with Korea, including an Indian film festival and a concert of traditional Indian music.

The center celebrated its opening with a friendly golf tournament and a cultural performance on Saturday.

By Chun Sung-woo (swchun@heraldcorp.com)