From K-pop to Cairo, Africa embraces Korea's cultural influence

Korean Heritage

Published: 29 Mar. 2024, 12:56 Updated: 29 Mar. 2024, 13:03

From K-pop to Cairo, Africa embraces Korea's cultural influence

Students learn how to make bibimbap at a Korean food workshop held at the Korean Cultural Center in South Africa on March 8. [KOREAN CULTURAL CENTER SOUTH AFRICA]

The whole package of Korean culture will make its way to the African continent, as part of the Culture Ministry’s initiative to bridge cultural ties between Korea and African nations ahead of the Korea-Africa Summit in June.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism released Friday a schedule of events currently under way or slated to take place in South Africa, Egypt and Nigeria. The events are jointly organized with the respective Korean embassies in each country.

The scheduled events include K-pop dance and Korean food classes, concerts, traditional folk dance demonstrations, photo and art exhibitions, book readings, hanbok and taekwondo workshops, and a movie screening illuminating film director Im Kwon-taek’s work.

An exhibition showcasing printed and digital copies of Joseon Dynasty’s (1392-1910) most prolific artists’ work including those from Kim Hong-do, Jeong Seon and Sin Yun-bok is currently under way at the Korean Embassy in South Africa.

Also in May, South Africa and Korea’s voices will come together as one in a concert with Korean opera singers and a South African choir at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, and at the Nelson Mandela Auditorium in Cape Town.

Korea’s lesser-known cultural exports such as calligraphy and children’s books will be showcased in Egypt. The “K-Movement in Egypt” event taking place from May 15 to 18 at the Cairo Opera House will consist of a K-pop World Festival, calligraphy performances and workshops, and talchum, Korean traditional masked dance performances.

In Nigeria, showcases accompanied by workshops for K-pop, taekwondo and hanbok will take place across April and May. Taekwondo is one of the six sports Nigeria has medaled in at the Olympics, with Chika Chukwumerije taking home bronze for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. Nigerian taekwondo athlete Elizabeth Anyanacho is set to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

The whole itinerary of events can be seen on each country's Korean Cultural Center website.

“The exchange of culture and art is the best way for two countries to understand each other’s history and culture,” Yong Ho-seong, the Culture Ministry's Tourism Industry Policy Bureau Director-General, said. “The exchange will aid in Korea’s establishment of new partnership ties with the rapidly growing Africa.”

The upcoming Korea-Africa Summit is scheduled to take place in Seoul from June 4 to 5. The summit is held to further strengthen cooperation between Korea and African nations in fields including trade, investment and development.

BY KIM JU-YEON [kim.juyeon2@joongang.co.kr]