Korean culture festival draws nearly 40,000 fans in Thailand, Vietnam
A concertgoer holds up a banner for the K-LIVE FESTIVAL BAND:AGE event, part of the 2026 Korea Season showcase organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in Hanoi, Vietnam. Courtesy of Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism
Korean culture is finding new audiences in Southeast Asia through ballet, live music, classical performances and digital art, with nearly 40,000 people attending or participating in events in Thailand and Vietnam this year, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Friday.
The 2026 Korea Season, organized by the ministry, along with the Korea Foundation for International Cultural Exchange and Korean cultural centers in both countries, has attracted 39,917 participants since launching in May.
The program aims to broaden the reach of Korean culture beyond K-pop and television dramas by introducing traditional art in contemporary forms and creating opportunities for collaboration with local artists.
The series opened with “GAT,” an original ballet by Yoon Byeol Ballet Company inspired by the traditional Korean horsehair hat known as gat.
Performances in Bangkok on May 23 and Hanoi on May 27 drew a combined 1,650 spectators, with accompanying exhibitions and workshops introducing audiences to the cultural significance of the headwear.
October's K-LIVE FESTIVAL BAND:AGE brought together Korean and local musicians, drawing 6,101 visitors in Bangkok and 28,364 in Hanoi.
The Hanoi lineup included Korean acts QWER, Silica Gel and Touched, alongside Vietnamese artists Hoàng Dũng and Màu Nước Band.
On Thursday, SM Classics joined the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra for a concert in Hanoi, reworking K-pop hits including Red Velvet's “Feel My Rhythm” and Girls' Generation's “Into the New World” for orchestral performance.
A media art exhibition, “Living Things Around Us,” is running at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology through Nov. 29, presenting traditional Korean paintings and contemporary visual works inspired by animals and nature.
The ministry also plans to launch the K-Culture Bridge Project in 2027, expanding international partnerships through joint cultural planning, artistic production and exchanges.
Kim Hyun-jun, director general for international cultural policy at the ministry, said this year's program had broadened cultural exchange by presenting reinterpreted Korean traditions and creating performances with local artists.
“Next year, building on this year's achievements, we plan to expand our key partner countries and further strengthen two-way exchanges in which artists and cultural institutions work together on planning and creation,” Kim said.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.