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| Diana Park, center in the first row, head of the World Culture Association, and participants pose during the 2021 Korea Day Festival & Celebration event held at the Grand InterContinental Seoul, Sunday. Courtesy of World Culture Association |
By Park Ji-won
The 2021 Korea Day Festival & Celebration event, a cultural festival aimed to promote Korean culture and create opportunities for gatherings between the 85 million people on the Korean Peninsula and 7.5 million in other countries, was held in Seoul on Oct. 3 marking the National Foundation Day which fell on the same day.
About 300 people, including some 60 foreign embassies officials and other people from various countries, gathered for the event at the Grand InterContinental Seoul which was organized by the World Culture Association led by Diana Park. It was also livestreamed on YouTube.
Under the slogan "Korea Day and intercultural exchange" this year, an international seminar was held on the sidelines of the event, where participants shared opinions about promoting international networks across cultures.
The event also held cultural participatory events such as Korean calligraphy, making tteok (rice cake) and making Korean and Chinese tea, giving participants a chance to enjoy Korean cultural activities and learn more about the country.
During the event, the organization gave awards to individuals who contributed to promoting Korea's culture. Singers Insooni, Song Ga-in, Tiger JK and Yoon Mi-rae, fashion designer Lie Sang-bong, travel writer and relief worker Han Bi-ya and CJ's food brand Bibigo were all awarded.
The organization launched the event last year and has held cultural events in seven counties ― Canada, the United States of America, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Cambodia and Russia ― among Korean community networks. It aims to launch various campaigns to promote Korea's territorial claim to Dokdo and host the 2036 Seoul-Pyongyang Olympics.
