In celebration of the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the UAE and Korea, the 8th edition of Korea Festival presents an exciting line-up of concerts, exhibitions, online events, workshops, lectures, contests and film screenings throughout November.
Hosted by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the UAE and the UAE Ministry of Culture and Youth, this year’s Korea Festival is expected to further strengthen cultural exchanges between the two countries.
Although all events will be run online due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the festival features a more diverse line-up with unique activities that have not been attempted so far. These events have been meticulously planned and prepared to connect with the fans of Korean culture (Hallyu) in the UAE.
Korean National Day 2020, scheduled on November 1 at 12 noon, and a webinar on the 40th anniversary of ties on November 17 from 11am to 1pm, will turn the spotlight on the significance of four decades of bilateral relations and the prospects of future relations between the UAE and Korea.
To meet K-pop fans in the UAE, a number of K-pop groups including AB6IX, ATEEZ, ASTRO and MOMOLAND, will have online K-pop concerts from November 13-18. The line-up and further schedule will be updated on Korea Festival official website.
Korea and UAE Youth Orchestra Ensemble will perform songs capturing the past, present and future of Korea-UAE cultural exchange from November 12-14. Each orchestra plans to play representative songs of the other country.
Virtual art exhibition, Ogamdo: 5 Scenes of Korean Art, will be continued until November 30 and Korean Webtoon exhibition, K-Comics: Harmony of Life, will meet the audience online from November 18 to December 31. The original webtoon, which was also produced as a drama in Korea and gained a lot of popularity, will be virtually exhibited including GwangJin’s Itaewon Class.
To make the event more vibrant, Korean Culture Centre (KCC UAE) will organise online events such as Draw Your Korea Contest and The 8th UAE Korean Speech Contest under the theme of 40 years of friendship between Korea and the UAE. Furthermore, K-pop Masked Singer Contest is expected to discover talented hidden K-pop singers in the UAE. Seminars on Women’s Heath and Cancer and the Korean Medicine, which are organised by Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI) along with distinguished Korean doctors, will give viewers an opportunity to become more aware of the common illnesses and their treatment options.
To deepen understanding of Korean culture, online seminars on Globalisation of K-pop: History and Perspectives and 1,500 Years of Cultural Encounter and Future Prospect of UAE-Korea Cooperation will be conducted by experts in Korea.
To promote cultural exchanges and further create awareness on Korean culture in the UAE, K-Lovers Segment, organised by Korean societies in the UAE; K-Food Live Tasting Show by Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT); and Korea Online Travel Souq by Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), will also be available. Two Korean movies Kokdu: A story of Guardian Angels and Dark Figure of Crime will be screened for Korean film fans in the UAE.
Finally, in collaboration with The Arts Centre in Abu Dhabi, Korean fusion band Akdan Gwangchil’s performance will be streamed online on November 18 at 8pm.
For more information, visit Koreafestivaluae.com
