I am covering trend, food and fashion. Previously, I covered diplomacy, city, environment and unification.
MyK FESTA kicks off in Seoul to expand global reach of Korean wave
K-pop fans wait to get tickets to the MyK FESTA at the Olympic Park in Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap
By Kim Se-jeong
In promoting Korean popular culture, the government has traditionally taken a supporting role. However, at MyK FESTA, the government is stepping to the fore.
The four-day event organized by the ministry kicked off Thursday at Olympic Park in southeastern Seoul, featuring a mix of concerts, panel discussions and business networking. It has drawn a diverse crowd — from K-pop fans and beauty influencers to content creators and international buyers.
“This event is an opportunity to help Korean popular culture expand into broader fields,” an official from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said on condition of anonymity. “In the medium to long term, we aim to develop MyK FESTA into a leading cultural industry expo, akin to the CES.”
On the opening afternoon, the area outside the venue was relatively calm.
Small groups of K-pop fans from both Korea and abroad gathered near registration booths or waited for ticket pickup. The crowd size was modest early in the day, with most attendees anticipating the evening concert.
Waiting for the concert to start, the fans sampled Korean food sold at food trucks and browsed Korean skin care products and other consumer goods at company booths. Fans of K-pop group NEWBEAT had the chance to meet with the band members and get autographs from them.
The first three nights of the festival feature live performances combining K-pop acts and traditional Korean music groups.
The busiest area on opening day, however, was a venue for business, where Korean content and consumer goods companies met with overseas buyers. According to organizers, nearly 75 Korean firms participated in the export meetings, ranging from entertainment agencies to food producers.
Music professionals from Korea, China, Japan and Singapore attend the KINDIE Summit at MyK FESTA held at Olympic Park in Seoul, Thursday. Korea Times photo by Kim Se-jeong
Industry discussions also played a central role. At the KINDIE Summit on Thursday, music professionals from Korea, China, Japan and Singapore exchanged insights on their respective markets and explored ways to build a more sustainable future for the Asian music scene.
On Friday at the summit, Lee Do-young, the director of Korean drama "The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call," is scheduled to share his insights on Korean contents, along with author Lee Jong-beom of the webtoon "Dr. Frost."
MyK FESTA also attracted content influencers curious about Korean trends.
SNS influencers Monsi, left, and Yesmen Jas stand at the booth of Beauty Play, a Korean beauty product brand, at MyK FESTA in Seoul. Korea Times photo by Kim Se-jeong
Monsi, a YouTuber from India specializing in K-beauty, said she traveled from Gyeonggi Province to explore the latest skin care trends and try new products. “I’m a big fan of Korean skin care. I came to check out the trends,” she said.
Yesmen Jas, a TikTok influencer from Egypt who resides in Korea, shared that she is newly interested in Korean beauty products and wanted to learn more.
For a Polish family vacationing in Seoul, the festival became an unexpected highlight. “I googled K-pop events and came across this,” said the mother, who only disclosed her name Dorothy. “My three girls are huge K-pop fans, and we wanted to do something they’d really enjoy.”
"My favorite band isn't performing tonight, but I am OK," said one of the daughters.
K-pop band N.Flying performs during a concert on the first day of MyK FESTA in Seoul. Korea Times photo by Kim Se-jeong
Thursday’s opening concert included performances by ILLIT, aespa, Hearts2Hearts, WayV, N.Flying and others.
On Friday, the second night concert will spotlight Jambinai, a rock band known for blending Korean traditional instruments with modern sounds, and BOA. Saturday’s lineup includes ITZY and NCT's Ten, while the final day won't have any concerts.