Korean embassy dance clip from hit Indian film goes viral

Diplomacy

Published: 01 Mar. 2023, 14:42 Updated: 01 Mar. 2023, 22:10

Korean embassy dance clip from hit Indian film goes viral

Korean Ambassador to India Chang Jae-bok, center in the left photo, and staffers at the Korean Embassy in India dance to ″Naatu Naatu,″ a song from the hit Indian film ″RRR″ (2022) as part of celebrations to mark the 50-year anniversary of diplomatic ties between Korea and India. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

A dance cover clip produced by the Korean embassy in India starring the Korean ambassador and embassy staff dancing to the song "Naatu Naatu" from the hit Indian film "RRR" has gone viral with over four million views on the day it was posted.

The 53-second-long clip posted on the embassy’s Twitter account on Saturday features a popular dance scene from the epic 2022 action drama film.

The motion picture is set in the 1920s and revolves around two characters fighting for independence against British colonialism.

The song “Naatu Naatu” won Best Original Song at the Golden Globe Awards earlier this year, while a YouTube clip of the film's dance scene featuring the song has attracted more than 120 million views.

The Korean embassy's dance cover embraced both nations' cultures.

Korean ambassador Chang Jae-bok and some embassy employees were dressed like the movie characters, other staffers wore traditional Indian clothes, while some others were dressed in traditional Korean clothing and taekwondo uniforms.

Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi shared the dance cover to his Twitter account, writing, “Lively and adorable team.”

Other Indian public officials who shared the video clip to their social media accounts included India Justice Minister Kiren Rijiju and Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur.

“That’s a proud moment for all Indians,” a Twitter user commented on the dance cover clip.

Ambassador Chang said he wanted "to convey how Koreans enjoy and like Indian culture as much as Indians show their love for K-pop and Korean films.”

“I believe cultural respect is the basis of public diplomacy,” he said.

Another official from the foreign ministry expressed hope that the dance cover clip will help Korea "become a more familiar country to Indians."

The video was produced and posted by the Korean embassy in India to celebrate the 50-year anniversary of India-Korea diplomatic ties.

BY HAN JEE-HYE,CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]