Korea Week 2017 concludes with an action-packed K-Pop concert
The audience screamed as the K-Pop group Matilda walked onto the stage. Strobe lights flared and a large screen pumped neon fractals toward the excited crowd. From May 23 to May 28, the Korean Embassy in Mongolia hosted Korea Week 2017, a festival event highlighting Korean culture - traditional and modern.
The festival took place at Ulaanbaatar Palace. On the first day, a quiz gave visitors the chance to answer questions about Korea to win souvenir prizes. A pop-up film festival was the main attraction on the second day of the festival, and on the third day, festival-goers watched a traditional hanbok fashion show followed by a taekwondo tournament.
Alongside the main events, there were booths serving Korean delicacies like kimchi and bulgogi. There were also stations displaying traditional and modern paintings and sketches. On the third day of the event, the K-Pop World Festival regional qualifiers were held. Contestants from all over East Asia performed K-Pop songs for a chance to travel to Changwon, South Korea, to compete for the grand prize of the 2017 K-Pop World Festival.
After four days of festivities, the cultural exhibit came to a close with a concert featuring two popular K-pop bands and a surprise appearance from Ganbaa, a Mongolian pop star known for his K-Pop covers.
The concert started off with a musical performance by local singer Zizi Zoloo. Zizi was also one of the judges for the K-Pop World Festival regional qualifiers held the day before. Zizi's performance was followed by Matilda, the K-Pop quartet of Haena, Dan-A, Semmi, and Saebyeol. The girl group sang some of their most popular songs, such as “Macarena”, “Summer Again”, and “You Bad! Don’t Make Me Cry”. They showcased the impressively polished choreography associated with K-Pop . The crowd cheered and screamed throughout their performance.
The next act was Wild Duck, a newly formed rap duo. They boasted lightning fast lyrical skills and jazzy vocals. After Wild Duck's set, the lights dimmed and Ganbaa strolled into a lone spotlight on a far corner of the stage. His appearance was a surprise and the audience went wild.
After the local pop singer’s performance, Matilda returned to the stage for two encores to appease the energetic crowd chanting their name.
Mongolia and South Korea are strong allies, and cultural exchange is an important part of the evolution of an alliance between two countries. The popularity of K-Pop in Mongolia is easily seen proof of the friendship the two countries share. Korea Week 2017 gave Mongolians a wonderful opportunity to get a glimpse of Korean culture.