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Hallyu fans invited to enjoy concerts, fan meetings, hands-on cultural experiences

By Kwak Yeon-soo

Korean culture fans from around the world will get the chance to enjoy a wide range of activities related to Korean music, dramas, food, beauty and more, at the K-Culture Festival, which will kick off in Seoul this month.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange (KOFICE) said, Thursday, that they will hold the 2022 K-Culture Festival at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul and Seoul Sports Complex in Jamsil, eastern Seoul, from Sept. 30 to Oct. 8.

Under the theme of "Into the-K," the festival will allow hallyu (Korean wave) enthusiasts from around the world to experience the full extent of Korean culture. After the last two editions of the annual festival that were held online or offline with many limitations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the third edition of the festival will return with in-person events.

"The historic wins of 'Squid Game' at the Emmys have sparked further interest in Korean content. Beyond K-dramas and K-pop, we would like to draw global interest to Korean traditional culture and related industries including fashion, beauty and food through the K-Culture Festival," Kim Jae-hyun, head of the ministry's content policy division, said during a press briefing held at the Government Complex Seoul, Thursday.

"We hope it captures the hearts of hallyu fans around the world and grows to be an internationally renowned festival like the Edinburgh Festival Fringe or Rio Carnival," Kim said.

Bik Hwang, the executive director of the festival, explained that the unique aspects of hallyu are its rich cultural content and transcultural fandom.

"We want to connect fans with K-pop artists and give them a chance to become content creators themselves. This year, we aim to attract 4 million fans around the globe, both online and offline," he said.

Asked how the K-Culture Festival differs from other cultural festivals organized by the government or the public sector, such as KCON or Mokkoji Korea, Hwang said, "Instead of going overseas to promote our culture, we want foreigners to come and experience Korea, the stronghold of hallyu. And this festival includes everything about Korean culture and lifestyle, ranging from traditional culture and craftwork to dramas and a parade."

On the eve of the opening ceremony of the 2022 K-Culture Festival, a "calligraphy croquis" performance by armless artist Seok Chang-woo, as well as traditional Korean music and dance performances, will be held in the Gyeongbok Palace grounds at 7 p.m. on Sept. 30.

The opening ceremony of the festival will take place with "The-K drama concert," where singers, including Kyuhyun of K-pop boy band Super Junior, Paul Kim and Kim Na-young, will perform original soundtrack songs from hit Korean TV dramas such as "Hotel del Luna," "Hospital Playlist" and "Our Beloved Summer."

On the sidelines, there will be a talk session between the producers of popular Korean series and their fans, as well as a musical gala show based on songs from hit Korean dramas, including "My Liberation Notes," "Itaewon Class" and "The Red Sleeve."

"The-K Fan Fair," which will be held from Oct. 2 to 8 at Gwanghwamun Square and the auxiliary stadium of Jamsil sports complex, is a fan engagement program that offers visitors a chance to experience hands-on Korean food, fashion, cosmetics, games, webtoons and craftwork. Rather than popular big companies, small- and medium-sized companies offering products and services in these sectors will be encouraged to participate.

The highlight of the fan fair is "The-K Stage," in which 20 aspiring artists will have the opportunity to perform onstage. In addition, rising K-pop group, The Boyz, will hold a fan meet-and-greet event on Oct. 2 as part of the program.

Four smaller concerts to showcase K-pop, indie and hip-hop musicians and DJs will also take place at the Gwanghwamun and Jamsil areas between Oct. 2 and Oct. 8. The lineup of the artists includes Pentagon, Brave Girls, CIX, VIVIZ, 10cm, Sunwoojunga, The Quiett, DJ Raiden and DJ Ginjo.

"The-K Concert" will be held at the Olympic Stadium in Jamsil on Oct. 7, featuring big-name stars such as NCT Dream, STAYC, XG and Blank2y. More details about the full lineup will be unveiled at a later date, according to the organizers. Admission to the concert will cost around 1,500 won ($1) and will require registration via Interpark.

In collaboration with American music magazine Billboard, the festival will launch "The-K Billboard Awards" to celebrate the achievements of K-pop artists who have made their names on the Billboard rankings. The winners will be announced in an online ceremony that will be held during the festival period.

"This is part of our mission to find the next BTS. We will not limit our nominees to the festival attendees. Instead, we will strictly adhere to Billboard's points system and honor winners by visiting their studios if necessary," Hwang explained.

Park Jong-sup, chief director at KOFICE's cultural exchange division, added they plan to expand The-K Billboard Award next year by inviting heavyweights from the global music industry and holding a meet-up event for them.

The festival will close with a massive street parade on Oct. 8. Some 2,000 citizens and art troupe members will march along a 2.6-kilometer-long section from Jongno 5-ga to Gwanghwamun Square.

For overseas hallyu fans, many of the festival programs will be livestreamed through the K-Culture Festival's YouTube channel. Subtitles will be provided in seven languages: Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese, Spanish, Indonesian and Thai.

Park said the festival will be expanded through cooperation and network with various organizations in and outside of the country and with organizers of major festivals of other nations.

"A global fandom of Korean culture has been growing in recent years as people's media use has increased during the pandemic. The K-Culture Festival is a venue where participants can enjoy a variety of events and Korean lifestyle, and we want to make it a representative must-visit festival for people around the world who are interested in Korean culture," Park said.