January 2023
Global Korea
Soprano Sumi Jo¡¯s Performance
HKGNA Music Festival celebrated its eighth year in 2022. The three-day festival (Nov. 18-20) was held on an outdoor stage at the Art Park in West Kowloon Cultural District, Hong Kong¡¯s representative arts and culture hub.
The opening performance was co-sponsored by the Consulate General of Korea in Hong Kong and the Korean Cultural Center. HKGNA invited world-renowned soprano Sumi Jo to perform during the three-day festival. Soprano Sumi Jo performed in front of 2,000 spectators on the outdoor stage under the night sky and beside Hong Kong¡¯s symbolic landmark Victoria Harbour.
K-pop Talk & Dance Performance
The Korean Cultural Center in Italy held a K-pop Talk & Dance performance at the Nuovo Teatro Orione in Rome on Oct. 23 as part of the K-pop Academy 2022 Project. The sold-out show was attended by 980 people. Fifty fans were unfortunately turned away as there were no more seats available.
The audience also had the chance to communicate with Seoul Mafia, a famous YouTuber who served as host for the event. People were able to ask him questions about living in Korea and being an idol trainee. Xinuz, a dancer for the K-pop boy group BTS, was invited as a special guest. Xinuz performed at the event and held a Q&A session for the audience.
Sacheonwangsa is Here 2022
¡°Sacheonwangsa is Here 2022¡± is an event that reproduces the procession of the people who brought cultural relics from the ancient Korean Peninsula to Japan. The event was held from Nov. 5 to Nov. 6 in Osaka Naniwa for the first time in three years since the onset of COVID-19. The successful event held at the palace located Naniwa-ku hosted over 50,000 people during the two days.
The pre-event performance on Nov. 5 centered on students from both Korea and Japan and created a venue for cultural exchange. It included performances of wadaiko (traditional Japanese drums) and the wind ensemble from Osaka International Takii High School.
Seeing New Year¡¯s First Sunrise
In Korea, people usually make a wish while watching the sunrise on the first day of the new year. To welcome 2023, I decided to follow this Korean tradition by traveling from Seoul to Naksansa Temple, which is halfway between Sokcho and Yangyang-gun County in Gangwon-do Province.
Early on Jan. 1, I left Seoul shortly after 1 a.m. and got to the temple at 4 a.m. I chose to watch the dawn at Sinseong Peak, the highest point at the temple. The sunrise at 7:42 a.m. was indescribably beautiful thanks to its vibrant colors. The Korean tradition of making a wish while seeing the year¡¯s first sunrise was an emotional experience that filled my heart with joy and optimism.
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