Mexican Embassy wraps up month of events in celebration of 200th anniversary of independence

Mexican Ambassador to Korea Bruno Figueroa, front row center, poses at the Garden of Mexico in Suncheonman Bay National Garden in Suncheon, South Jeolla Province, Sept. 14, in celebration of the 200th anniversary of Mexico's independence and the beginning of the fight for independence 211 years ago. Courtesy of Embassy of Mexico in Korea

By Kwon Mee-yoo

The Embassy of Mexico in Seoul commemorated the 211st anniversary of the beginning of the fight for independence and celebrated 200 years of independence with a variety of events in September.

Dubbed the "Month of Mexico in Korea," the embassy offered an extensive program of activities aimed at sharing the diversity and richness of Mexican culture, performing arts, gastronomy and music with Koreans.

“Over the recent years, Mexico's cultural, educational and tourism promotion activities in Korea have increased significantly, thanks to the renewed popularity of different expressions of Mexican culture and art as well as gastronomy and tourism. Despite the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Embassy of Mexico has continued deploying several programs of cultural promotion throughout Korea, with the aim to increase the strong bonds of cooperation and exchange between both societies,” the embassy said in a statement.

The series of events began with the exhibition “K-fashion meets traditional world fashion” at the Multiculture Museum in Seoul, running from Sept. 1 through Oct. 31. The exhibit features traditional costumes from 14 countries including Mexico.

Mexican Ambassador to Korea Bruno Figueroa visited the Garden of Mexico at Suncheonman Bay National Garden in Suncheon, South Jeolla Province, Sept. 14, to commemorate the bicentennial of the consummation of Mexico's independence and 211 years since the fight began.

Ambassador Figueroa planted marigold flowers and poinsettias in the Garden of Mexico as a symbol of the friendship and cooperation between Mexico and Korea, together with Suncheon Mayor Heo Seok and Carlos Mijares, president of GSDK, a Mexican company active in Suncheon.

Promotional image for the “Month of Mexico in Korea” / Courtesy of Embassy of Mexico in Korea

The embassy also organized a handful of online events due to COVID-19 infection preventive measures.

It held a virtual celebration on Sept. 16 with more than 400 members of the Mexican community in Korea in attendance. A Mexican folk ballet performance and Gangneung-based Mexican chef Julian Tellez's cooking show were presented during the celebration.

The documentary “100 Years with Juan Rulfo," exploring the life of Mexican writer Juan Rulfo of “The Burning Plain” and “Pedro Paramo," was streamed through the embassy's social media.

"Greatness of Mexico: 3 Centuries” was a series of lectures organized in collaboration with the National Autonomous University of Mexico. The series reviewed three milestones in the history of Mexico, from the foundation of Mexico-Tenochtitlan (capital of the Aztec Empire) through the Spanish conquest to the independence of Mexico.

Mexican films "La Tirisia," "Visa al Paraiso," "Workers" and "I Promise You Anarchy" were shown on demand online from Sept. 24 to 27.