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Singapore, Korea celebrate 50th diplomatic anniversary with traditional performance

Published: 04 Apr. 2025, 16:29 Updated: 06 Apr. 2025, 14:21

KIM JI-YE
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A performance of Jongmyo Jeryeak, a traditional Korean ancestral rite [NATIONAL GUGAK CENTER]

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will hold performances of Jongmyo Jeryeak, a traditional Korean ancestral rite, in Singapore to commemorate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The performances, hosted by the Culture Ministry and organized by the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange, the Korean Embassy in Singapore and the National Gugak Center, will take place at Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay on Friday and Saturday during the art center's annual music festival, “A Tapestry of Sacred Music." It is the first time the Korean traditional ritual will be performed at the festival.

The Culture Ministry will also offer visitors the chance to experience traditional Korean culture, which includes a gugak (traditional Korean music) photo exhibition and a digital booth where they can listen to traditional Korean instruments from the period when the performances are showcased.

More cultural exchange events between the two countries like the upcoming Jongmyo Jeryeak performances will occur throughout the year, the Culture Ministry said.

Events will include jazz performances by young artists in July, a collaboration between the theater and the Jarasum International Jazz Festival — one of Korea’s renowned annual music festivals — and a showcase lanterns made out of hanji (traditional Korean mulberry paper) at Singapore’s famous Gardens by the Bay in September.

“K-culture is an important connecting bridge between Korea and Singapore,” said Kim Hyun-joon, culture policy officer at the Culture Ministry. “We hope the cultural events celebrating the two countries’ 50th diplomatic anniversary will spark more active exchanges between the two regions and further develop friendly relations.”

BY KIM JI-YE [[email protected]]