March 2023
Global Korea
K-pop Content Contest
The Korean Cultural Center Germany held the 2022 K-pop Content Contest ¡°K-POP DIY¡± for 10 days from Nov. 11 to 20. A fierce competition took place with 182 works submitted in two categories: fan art (painting) and essays (writing).
The works were submitted online and went through internal and external screening conducted by experts. Eight of the best works were selected as the winners. Each winner received gift certificates to local establishments and K-pop goods.
The two people who won the grand prize received tickets to the BLACKPINK concert held in Berlin on Dec. 20. The grand prize received an incredibly positive response from all participants as it presented an opportunity for local fans to experience an actual K-pop concert.
Korean Culture Day
The Korean Cultural Center Kazakhstan held the ¡°Korean Culture Day¡± cultural experience event at the Korean Cultural Center on Feb. 17, helping local people to explore different aspects of Korean culture.
The event consisted of three themes: traditional Korean clothing, traditional Korean games and traditional Korean crafts. The program included a Hanbok wearing event, traditional games such as tuho and jegichagi, a master class to learn about hwarot, traditional clothing worn for weddings during the Joseon Dynasty, and a master class for making cheongsachorong, a traditional Korean lantern used in wedding ceremonies during the late Joseon Dynasty.
10th NSDF CHOI YOUNG SEOK CUP International Taekwondo Championship
The 10th NSDF CHOI YOUNG SEOK CUP International Taekwondo Championship was held on Feb. 11 to 12 at the Eastern National Sports Training Center in Pattaya. The ¡°CHOI YOUNG SEOK CUP International Taekwondo Championship,¡± which celebrates its 10th this year, is one of Thailand¡¯s major sporting events. It is a championship officially approved by the Monarchy of Thailand, and coach Choi Yeong Seok started hosting it in 2013.
In conjunction with the Korea Tourism Organization, the Korean Culture Center in Thailand set up a PR booth on this day for ¡°World EXPO 2023, Busan, Korea¡± and attracted immense interest with various experiential activities such as a Hanbok experience and more.
My Visit to a Historical Prison-turned-museum
Every year on March 1, Koreans celebrate March First Independence Movement Day. I visited Seodaemun Prison History Hall on March 1 to honor the noble spirit of those who stood up for their country¡¯s independence.
Built during the Japanese occupation period to imprison and execute activists, the facility is now one of the nation¡¯s most popular tourist destinations. Admission is free and when I visited, I saw many people including children, the elderly and foreign nationals there. The museum staff wore traditional Hanbok and distributed mini-flags to visitors as gifts.
* This article was written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter Martina Marrandino from Italy. The full text is posted on Korea.net.
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