Korean Cultural Festival celebrated in Abuja

The Korean Cultural week was celebrated in Nigeria’s capital Abuja last week in what turned out to be an avalanche of Korean cuisine, music, films and performances. The week was kicked off Tuesday at a Korean National Day Reception held at the Transcorp Hotel. The reception drew Nigerian government officials, guests from the diplomatic corps, […]

The Korean Cultural week was celebrated in Nigeria’s capital Abuja last week in what turned out to be an avalanche of Korean cuisine, music, films and performances.
The week was kicked off Tuesday at a Korean National Day Reception held at the Transcorp Hotel. The reception drew Nigerian government officials, guests from the diplomatic corps, cultural administrators and enthusiasts as well as friends of Korea in Nigeria.
Flagging off the celebrations, the Korean Ambassador to Nigeria Mr. Noh Kyu-duk said this year marks the 3,484th anniversary of the founding of Korea, which he admits, was drawn from the country’s mythology.
He said Nigeria and Korea have had similar upheavals in their recent histories, adding that there is much both countries can learn from each other.
“In the 20th century, Korea and Nigeria passed through very similar historical paths; colonial rule, civil war, military coup and other difficult times. Nevertheless, we are the people who have a great pride in our ancestors and history. And we are the people who are determined to overcome whatever difficulties we face and to write a success story for our future generations.”
For the occasion, three Korean groups were invited to perform. The Goryu treated guests to some lively and thunderous drumming and flamboyant performances, while B-boy dancing duo, brought a taste of new culture trends from the Asian country with some break dancing moves. A quartet of ornately dressed Korean performing girls, ….. also performed using a mix of various traditional musical instruments. They got the Nigerian audience buzzing when they performed a version of a popular Igbo song.
Afterwards, guests for the event were invited to enjoy a massive buffet of Korean cuisine prepared by two Korean chefs flown in from Seoul for the occasion.
The week continued with film shows at the Silverbird Cinemas.