Inaugural Korea Week kicks off in Abu Dhabi

Korea Week 2013, held at the Abu Dhabi National Theatre, will kick off on November 21 with food, film and dance.

Korean food, film and dance will take centre stage at the inaugural Korea Week in Abu Dhabi this week.

Hosted by the Korean embassy, the three-day celebration of the country’s culture will be held at the Abu Dhabi National Theatre from November 21 to 23.

“The Korea Week event has been prepared with my firm belief that cultural exchange is the best approach to boost mutual understanding between the people of our two countries,” said the Korean ambassador, Kwon Hae-ryong.

“I hope this event will be a chance for all of you to experience the various appeals of Korea in one place and also an opportunity for Emiratis and Koreans to become closer.”

The festival begins at 4.20pm on Thursday with a speech contest, in which 20 students will demonstrate their Korean speaking skills.

From 5.30pm to 7.30pm, visitors will be able to sample Korean dishes, including galbi, kimchi, bibimbap and tteokbokki.

The opening ceremony will begin at 7.30pm with traditional performances from the UAE and Korea, a demonstration of taekwondo and a concert by the Sookmyung Gayageum Orchestra with b-boy dancing.

On Friday visitors can learn how to cook Korean recipes from 4.50pm to 6.20pm, with more food tastings and a BiBAP musical performance from 7.30pm to 9.20pm.

BiBAP is one of the most popular performances in Korea, according to the embassy.

A conversation between Korean and Emirati youths will open Saturday’s events at 5.20pm. The evening will be capped with a screening of the Korean thriller Tower, a disaster film about a fire that breaks out in a luxury skyscraper in central Seoul on Christmas Eve.

All events are free.