ERBIL, Kurdistan Region –The first Korean culture festival to ever be held in the Kurdistan Region with the theme “Friends of Korea” attracted hundreds of people from around Kurdistan on Saturday, eager to learn more about Korean culture and enjoy activities for children and adults alike.
“I think this is a world phenomenon. Within the last few years Korean dramas, music and Korean culture has become really popular all over the world,” said Sookie Hong, Director of the Center for Korean Studies at the International University of Erbil and organizer of the event.
Cultural activities included youth talent competitions featuring K-Pop singing and dance performances, a Taekwondo demonstration, Korean name writing, music performances of traditional Korean instruments along with showing of Korean costumes and face painting.
Hong gave praise to the Korean Zaytun Army division which was present in Kurdistan to carry out peacekeeping and reconstruction-related tasks between 2004 and 2008 for first introducing Korean culture.
“They were doing many cultural activities and bringing Kurdish people to Korea to train them in their job skills,” Hong said. “So many people benefited and still remember this as a good experience with Korea.”
Hong said that Kurdistan and Korea shared the same experiences regarding conflict and believes that Korea has been an example to the Kurdistan Region as they also started from zero and achieved economic development within a short time after the end of the Korean War.
In addition to K-pop singing and dance competitions, there was also a special Taekwondo performance led by Taekwondo Master Hemin Mahdi Qadir. Taekwondo is a martial art that originated in Korea and has gained global popularity.
Qadir, who started training in Taekwondo at the age of 10 and has been practicing the sport for 24 years, traveled to South Korea on several occasions for training and competitions. He received his diploma to teach the sport in 2009 where he also received a certificate for best coach.
In 2014 he participated in the Taekwondo board-breaking open international competition in Korea where he won first place and the gold medal out of 64 participating countries.
Qadir said the presence of Koreans in Kurdistan since 2004 encouraged Kurds to become more involved in the sport.
“I feel like we are close to each other because of many similarities our cultures,” he said. “If a Kurdish person visits Korea, they’ll feel that Koreans are polite and respect them. Koreans also appreciate us visiting their country.”
Supervisor of the Taekwondo academy, Daria Kurdi, also added “I feel we are from the same family.”
Like Qadir and Kurdi, the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Erbil, Young-Kyu Park shares the belief that the Kurdish people and Koreans have many things in common and is working to further strengthen and deepen the relationship between the two.
“There are similarities between Kurdish and Korean people in our culture, emotions and way of thinking and doing things,” Park said. “This comes from common aspects in our geographical locations and historical background and some culture [and traditions] as well.”
Park has been Consulate General for Korea in Erbil for approximately two years, although the Korean consulate has maintained its presence since the Zaytun Army left the region in 2008.
“I know that the Kurdish region and its people are undergoing difficult times in these days,” Park said. “But I see the enthusiasm in the younger generation, so I’m sure that these difficulties will be over very soon and these young people will make this region more prosperous in the future.”
Held at the Public Library of Hawler-Zaytun in Sami Abdulrahman Park, organizer Hong expected the turnout to reach 1,000 people. The 250-seat auditorium was overflowing with many more people standing outside to listen to the performances.
The festival was sponsored by the General Consulate of Korea in Erbil and organized by The Center for Korean Studies in Kurdistan and the International University of Erbil.
Falah Mustafa, head of foreign relations for the Kurdistan Regional Government, spoke at the festival and Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Erbil Young-Kyu Park was in attendance.
Hong credited months of hard work by many volunteers for making the event a success. Dozens of volunteers came from the Center for Korean Studies, the International University of Erbil, and other universities with a $3,000 budget from the Korean government.
See more photos from the festival here.
“I think this is a world phenomenon. Within the last few years Korean dramas, music and Korean culture has become really popular all over the world,” said Sookie Hong, Director of the Center for Korean Studies at the International University of Erbil and organizer of the event.
Cultural activities included youth talent competitions featuring K-Pop singing and dance performances, a Taekwondo demonstration, Korean name writing, music performances of traditional Korean instruments along with showing of Korean costumes and face painting.
Hong gave praise to the Korean Zaytun Army division which was present in Kurdistan to carry out peacekeeping and reconstruction-related tasks between 2004 and 2008 for first introducing Korean culture.
“They were doing many cultural activities and bringing Kurdish people to Korea to train them in their job skills,” Hong said. “So many people benefited and still remember this as a good experience with Korea.”
Hong said that Kurdistan and Korea shared the same experiences regarding conflict and believes that Korea has been an example to the Kurdistan Region as they also started from zero and achieved economic development within a short time after the end of the Korean War.
In addition to K-pop singing and dance competitions, there was also a special Taekwondo performance led by Taekwondo Master Hemin Mahdi Qadir. Taekwondo is a martial art that originated in Korea and has gained global popularity.
Qadir, who started training in Taekwondo at the age of 10 and has been practicing the sport for 24 years, traveled to South Korea on several occasions for training and competitions. He received his diploma to teach the sport in 2009 where he also received a certificate for best coach.
In 2014 he participated in the Taekwondo board-breaking open international competition in Korea where he won first place and the gold medal out of 64 participating countries.
Qadir said the presence of Koreans in Kurdistan since 2004 encouraged Kurds to become more involved in the sport.
“I feel like we are close to each other because of many similarities our cultures,” he said. “If a Kurdish person visits Korea, they’ll feel that Koreans are polite and respect them. Koreans also appreciate us visiting their country.”
Supervisor of the Taekwondo academy, Daria Kurdi, also added “I feel we are from the same family.”
Like Qadir and Kurdi, the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Erbil, Young-Kyu Park shares the belief that the Kurdish people and Koreans have many things in common and is working to further strengthen and deepen the relationship between the two.
“There are similarities between Kurdish and Korean people in our culture, emotions and way of thinking and doing things,” Park said. “This comes from common aspects in our geographical locations and historical background and some culture [and traditions] as well.”
Park has been Consulate General for Korea in Erbil for approximately two years, although the Korean consulate has maintained its presence since the Zaytun Army left the region in 2008.
“I know that the Kurdish region and its people are undergoing difficult times in these days,” Park said. “But I see the enthusiasm in the younger generation, so I’m sure that these difficulties will be over very soon and these young people will make this region more prosperous in the future.”
Held at the Public Library of Hawler-Zaytun in Sami Abdulrahman Park, organizer Hong expected the turnout to reach 1,000 people. The 250-seat auditorium was overflowing with many more people standing outside to listen to the performances.
The festival was sponsored by the General Consulate of Korea in Erbil and organized by The Center for Korean Studies in Kurdistan and the International University of Erbil.
Falah Mustafa, head of foreign relations for the Kurdistan Regional Government, spoke at the festival and Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Erbil Young-Kyu Park was in attendance.
Pleased to have attended the “First Korean Festival: The Friends of Korea” in Erbil. Thank you The Center for Korean Studies in Kurdistan, International University of Erbil & Consulate of #Korea in Kurdistan for hosting such an important event to build people to people relations. pic.twitter.com/0PdpTptv8p
— Falah Mustafa (@FalahMustafa) December 2, 2017
Hong credited months of hard work by many volunteers for making the event a success. Dozens of volunteers came from the Center for Korean Studies, the International University of Erbil, and other universities with a $3,000 budget from the Korean government.
See more photos from the festival here.
Comments
Rudaw moderates all comments submitted on our website. We welcome comments which are relevant to the article and encourage further discussion about the issues that matter to you. We also welcome constructive criticism about Rudaw.
To be approved for publication, however, your comments must meet our community guidelines.
We will not tolerate the following: profanity, threats, personal attacks, vulgarity, abuse (such as sexism, racism, homophobia or xenophobia), or commercial or personal promotion.
Comments that do not meet our guidelines will be rejected. Comments are not edited – they are either approved or rejected.
Post a comment