47,000 Brussels citizens enthusiastic about Korean culture

Successful Hallyu content festivals such as K-pop concerts… Over 40 Hallyu products are also a hit, B2B consulting of 5 million dollars

About 47,000 Brussels citizens were enthusiastic about Korean culture. Over two days, 47,000 people visited the “Korean Wave Content Festival,” held by the Korean Cultural Center of the Belgian European Union at the square in downtown Brussels on the 17th and 18th June 2023, during the weekend to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Korea-EU diplomatic ties in 2023. This corresponds to 4.1 per cent of Brussels' population.

Held under the name of 'Korean Wave Town in Belgium', this festival is an audience experience-type program including children's games such as sales booths, Hanbok experience, tug-of-war, Rose of Sharon blooms, etc. , and concerts by 4 K-pop singers.

On the 16th (Fri), the day before the festival, at the B2B export consultation held by the Brussels Trade Center (KOTRA), 16 small and medium-sized companies in domestic consumer goods, such as cosmetics, food, and household goods, recorded more than $5 million in consultations through business matching with local buyers. . In the future, 23 SMEs will continue to support online business consultations with buyers in neighboring Europe.

40 domestic companies that participated in the two-day festival over the weekend promoted their products through booth operation, and many products such as cosmetics and Korean food products were sold out even before the festival was completely over, drawing great attention from locals.

In addition, the festival was filled with various programs such as a Korean food demonstration, Hallyu OX quiz, tug-of-war, Dalgona game, etc., a K-pop cover dance performance by a local club, and a “high touch” fan meeting with K-pop artists.

Every evening Paul Kim, OnlyOneOf, First Love, and Korean traditional music Lee Sang performed concerts with great heat. Not only Belgian fans, but also Hallyu fans from all over Europe, including the Netherlands, Spain, and Denmark, came to Brussels to enjoy the Korean Wave festival.

In addition, local public broadcaster RTL connected the festival scene on the 7:00 main news and reported, “You can feel the popularity of Korean culture that has penetrated even into the heart of Brussels, Belgium.” Le Soir, the largest local newspaper, introduced the festival by devoting an entire page to it, saying, "The power of the Korean cultural industry is hidden behind the letter 'K' in K-pop and K-drama."

The festival was hosted by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, organized by the Korean Cultural Center of the European Union in Belgium, the Large, Small and Medium Business, Agriculture and Fisheries Cooperation Foundation, MBC, Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), and the World Expo 2030 Busan, Brussels City have supported.