South Korea's First Lady attends K-pop contest in India
New Delhi, April 20
First Lady Kim Hea Kyung attended a K-pop contest in India on Monday, expressing hope for stronger people-to-people ties through cultural exchange, the presidential office said.
Kim joined the 'K-Dream Stage: All India K-Pop Grand Championship', an annual contest hosted by the Korean Cultural Centre, as a guest, while accompanying President Lee Jae Myung on his State Visit to India, Yonhap news agency reported.
She noted that the event highlighted the growing popularity of Korean culture in India and expressed hope that the contestants would serve as a bridge between the two nations.
"I firmly believe that all of you here will become leading figures in shaping a new global wave of popular culture, including in India and Korea," she said in an address.
The event featured K-pop dance and singing competitions as well as performances by invited artists. Park Jin-young, founder of K-pop powerhouse JYP Entertainment and co-chair of the Presidential Committee on Popular Culture Exchange, joined the event.
"Culture has the power to connect people beyond borders," Kim said. "I hope today's event will serve as an opportunity to deepen mutual understanding and empathy between our cultures, and further expand exchanges between our two countries."
Earlier in the day, the First Lady, along with South Korean President Lee Hau Myung, paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Raj Ghat in New Delhi.
The South Korean President is on a three-day state visit to India. Union Minister of State for Corporate Affairs, Harsh Malhotra, received President Lee and First Lady Kim Hea Kyung at the airport in New Delhi on Sunday.
The MEA noted that the South Korean President's visit to India marks an "important milestone" in advancing the special strategic partnership between the two nations.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Good to see cultural diplomacy in action. But I hope such exchanges are a two-way street. We should also promote our Indian classical dance, music, and films in Korea with equal enthusiasm. Our culture is equally rich.
My daughter is obsessed with K-pop and participated in a local contest last year. It's amazing how music and dance can bring countries closer. Hope this leads to more student exchange programs in the arts.
Respect that they paid tribute to Gandhiji at Rajghat first. Shows the right intent. The K-pop event is fine for youth connect, but the real milestone will be in strategic areas like tech, semiconductors, and defense manufacturing. Hope the talks deliver on that.
As a K-pop fan, this is dream come true! JYP founder was there too? Wow! This kind of recognition from Korea itself is huge for all the Indian dancers and singers who practice so hard. More power to cultural exchange! 💃
A thoughtful gesture. Building people-to-people ties is the foundation of any strong international partnership. The focus on youth and popular culture is smart diplomacy for the long term.
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