'Korea Day' Festival Held in Queenstown, New Zealand... Over 1,000 Participants

According to media reports, the Queenstown Korean Association (President Kim Ha-na) announced on the 16th that it held "Ten-Ten Day" to promote Korean culture to local residents and tourists. Following last year, the festival was held for the second time on the 10th at the Queenstown Memorial Hall. The name was chosen to signify that it is held every year on October 10th.

Approximately 1,000 Koreans, locals, and tourists gathered at the venue. The program consisted of 10 themes, including Korean food, Hanbok, traditional games, tea ceremony, fan dance, samulnori, Taekwondo, Korean art, Hangeul, and a K-pop competition. The Embassy of the Republic of Korea in New Zealand and the Consulate General opened booths and provided mobile consular services for the convenience of the Korean community.

17 teams participated in the K-pop competition. Naomi, Bina, and Seth, a team composed of Chinese-descended and local New Zealand students, took first place, while student Song Ru-a took second place, and Japanese-descended Anju took third place.

Jung Byung-ha, the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to New Zealand, who attended the opening ceremony, said, "I was moved to see Korean culture and multiculturalism blending naturally while communicating with locals and tourists in the beautiful tourist city of Queenstown, and I am grateful for the efforts of the Korean community."

President Kim Ha-na explained that because residents of various nationalities live in Queenstown, there is less resistance to other cultures. She noted that K-pop and Korean food were particularly popular and stated that they plan to prepare the festival with even more diverse content next year.

Read the original (Korean)