On the 50th anniversary of Korea-India diplomatic ties, K-Culture strengthens future generation exchanges and solidarity between the two countries

– Held a K-culture conference in India, listened to the voices of future generations in India

– Held cultural exchange events between the two countries, such as a K-pop concert celebrating the establishment of diplomatic ties in New Delhi (August 25) and the K-culture comprehensive festival ‘Rang des Korea’ (October 28-29)

Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Minister Park Bo Gyun, hereinafter referred to as MCST) plans to commemorate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and India by enhancing cultural exchange and solidarity among the future generations of both countries. Various cultural events such as the ‘K-Culture Conference’ and ‘K-Pop Concert’ will be held in New Delhi, India.

Since establishing diplomatic relations with India in 1973, the Republic of Korea has continuously developed friendly relations in the cultural field, including the signing of the Cultural Agreement in 1974, the opening of the first Korean Cultural Center in Southeast Asia in 2012, and the adoption of Korean as the second foreign language in India in 2020. Especially this year, being the 50th anniversary of bilateral relations, the we plans to lay the groundwork for fostering cultural and personal exchanges among future generations through commemorative cultural events.

8. 25. Meeting with future generations of India who enjoy K-Culture, K-Pop concert emitting K-Culture enthusiasm

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will first hold a ‘K-Culture Conference’ in New Delhi, India on the morning of August 25 (Fri) to meet with future generations of India. Recently, more and more Indians want to learn Korean along with interest in K-culture such as K-pop and K-drama in India. Accordingly, the meeting will be held under the theme “My Dream with Korean Language and Culture” with students from the King Sejong Institutes in India and learners of K-Culture courses at the Korean Cultural Center India. The meeting aims to hear the vivid voices of Indian youths, including their experiences of becoming interested in Korean language and culture, how their interest led to exploring Korean-related career paths, and ideas for spreading K-Culture within India.

* King Sejong Institute students in India: (2020) 2,082 → (21) 6,423 → (22) 9,696

Additionally, in collaboration with the Korean Cultural Center in India, on the afternoon of August 25th, the the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, together with the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange, KOFICE, (Director Jung Kil Hwa), will host a K-Pop Concert at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi. The K-Pop idol group ‘MustB’ will perform, presenting the essence of K-Pop, and famous Indian singer Neeti Mohan, along with a local K-Pop cover dance team, will join to emphasize the significance of cultural exchange between the two countries. Given India’s status as the country with the highest consumption of Korean cultural content, including K-Pop and K-Dramas, it is expected that this performance will meet the increased demand for K-Culture in India.

* Monthly average consumption of Korean cultural contents (2023 Overseas Hallyu Survey): 1st India (28.0 hours)> 2nd UAE (22.1 hours)> 3rd Indonesia (22.0 hours) / National average (15.2 hours)

Comprehensive K-Culture Festival, continuous cultural exchange events in tourism, film, art, and more continue throughout the year

Cultural exchange events between Korea and India will continue throughout the year. On October 28th and 29th, a comprehensive festival called ‘Rang de Korea’ (Wear Korean colors) will take place in New Delhi, allowing Indian youths interested in K-Culture to experience various aspects of Korean culture such as K-Pop, K-Fashion, K-Food, and K-Beauty. The festival will feature a K-Pop concert, traditional Korean performances including fusion traditional music, traditional games, Taekwondo, and a reinterpretation of Hanbok (traditional Korean clothing) through a fashion show. Various programs will be available for Indian youths to enjoy, such as experiencing Korean cuisine, traditional wedding ceremonies, Korean calligraphy, and events related to the drama “Squid Game.”(Marble game, making dalgona, etc.)

Furthermore, various cultural exchange events such as the Korea Tourism Festival (August, New Delhi, Gurugram), Indian Film Screenings (September, Gwangju Asia Culture Center), Ink Painting Exhibition (September, New Delhi, Korean Cultural Center India), Buddhist Art Exhibition (December, Seoul National Museum of Korea), and Cultural Exchange Gala Show (December, India) will be held in both countries.

Yu Byung Chae, Deputy Minister of cultural & arts policy at the Ministry of Culture, Art and Tourism, who will attend the ‘K-Culture conference’ and ‘K-Pop Concert’ in India, stated, “K-Culture plays a crucial role in connecting the future generations of Korea and India. Through the cultural events commemorating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations, I hope that young people from both countries will have more opportunities to interact and build friendships.” He further expressed, “We will continue to support various cultural exchange projects to bring Korea and India closer through K-Culture.”

Attached:

–          List of Cultural Events Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Korea-India Diplomatic Relations

–          Poster for the 50th Anniversary K-Pop Concert

S.No	Event Content	Event Date	Event Place
1	K-Concert	Aug. 25.	New Delhi (Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium)
2	Korea Tourism Festival	Aug. 25~27.	New Delhi, Gurgaon
3	Bollywood In Gwangju (India Bollywood Film Screening)	Sep. 23~24.	Asia Culture Center (Gwangju)
4	Korean ink painting exhibition	September (Tentative)	Korean Cultural Centre India (New Delhi)
5	India Korean Culture Festival (Rang De Korea)	Oct. 28.~29.	New Delhi (Select City Walk Mall area)
6	Early Buddhist Art Exhibition in India	December (Tentative)	National Museum of Korea (Seoul)
7	Cultural Exchange Gala Show	December (Tentative)	India (to be determined)