The Korean Embassy in Abu Dhabi launches a month-long cultural festival today, featuring events at several venues in the capital, including the Theatre at Breakwater, Al Jazira Sports Club and Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec).
The festival, which aims to promote cross-cultural awareness and encourage Emiratis and residents to learn Korean, features a wide range of attractions, from contests and movies to exhibitions, all of which are free.
“It will be a great opportunity for everyone to experience various Korean cultures in a short time frame,” says Kwon Hae-ryong, Korea’s ambassador to the UAE. “[That includes] Korean tradition, K-pop, food and movie screenings.
“I hope to see many Emiratis and Koreans in the UAE at this event, using the opportunity to expand the mutual understanding and cultural exchanges of the two nations.”
Korean pop culture has a big fan following in the UAE. Zayed University, for instance, has a Korean Club, which has gained popularity as a result of the growing ties between the UAE and South Korea in the past few years.
Korean-language courses are also available at UAE University, Zayed University and Khalifa University, through the King Sejong Institute.
The festival will begin with a Korean Speech Contest at the InterContinental Abu Dhabi today. About 20 contestants, Emirati and expatriates, have been shortlisted to showcase their language skills.
Jump, a live show inspired by scenes from The Matrix films and Jackie Chan action dramas, will be staged at the Abu Dhabi Theatre today and tomorrow. The production, which has been seen by more than 3.5 million people in 27 countries, tells the story of a family and their misadventures, and features actors skilled in martial arts. Be sure to also check out the traditional games, a Hangul calligraphy workshop and a photo exhibition taking place in the theatre lobby at the show.
As another example of the cultural exchange between Korea and the UAE, there will be tae kwon do competitions for children and adults at Al Jazira Sports Club on October 18.
Film screenings, at the Abu Dhabi Theatre, include the Korean movies The Target (2014) and The Spy: Undercover Operation (2013) on October 20 and 21, respectively.
On October 28 and 29, the Korea Tourism Organisation will host the Korea Medical Tourism Festival 2014 at Adnec, which will run alongside cultural and K-pop performances.
There will be a seminar on Korea’s potential unification on October 27 at the St Regis Corniche.
The embassy will co-host tae kwon do competitions for children and adults on October 18, in association with UAE Taekwondo & Karate Federation, which is sponsored by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and the club. About 580 participants from the UAE will demonstrate their martial arts skills at the event, which will begin at 9am at Al Jazira Sports Club.
Also in the line-up is The Drawing Show's The Look at the Abu Dhabi Theatre – Breakwater, which brings art to the stage in a series of live performances during the festival.
Actors and artists will bring together several elements of classical and modern art from the West and the Orient in an alien-themed storyline depicted through live-painting on stage and mime by an artist, a comic and a dancer. The 90-minute performance is at 7.30pm on October 17.
• The 2014 Korean Cultural Festival in the UAE runs from today until October 29. Visit the Korean Embassy in UAE Facebook page or call 02 643 9122 for more information
aahmed@thenational.ae