The girl group ITZY performs on Aug. 11, 2023, at the concert "K-pop Super Live" for the 25th World Scout Jamboree at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul's Mapo-gu District. (Korea.net DB)

By Margareth Theresia

A large-scale comprehensive festival for the nation's culture is slated to debut next month in Seoul for global fans of Hallyu (Korean Wave).

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on May 1 said that along with the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange, it will hold the inaugural My K-Festa from June 19-22 at Olympic Park in Seoul's Songpa-gu District.

The event will feature various contents of Hallyu including K-pop at a single venue to allow fans from around the world to experience the latest in the Korean Wave and expand Hallyu's influence in daily life.

A K-pop concert, one of the highlights of the festival, is slated for June 19, 21 and 22. The opening performance on June 19 at KSPO Dome will feature K-pop acts such as aespa, ILLIT and Hearts2Hearts. Singers Chung Ha, ITZY and Heize will perform on June 21.

The last day will see a combination of traditional and contemporary music with gugak (traditional music)-based acts such as ADG7 and UheeSka.

In addition, global conferences, exhibitions and interactive events will be held. Experts from content industries from both home and abroad such as Billboard CEO Mike Van and Danielle Jin, Visa's chief marketing officer for the Asia-Pacific region, will attend a forum on June 20 on the global growth potential of Hallyu content and the Korean Wave's expansion into related industries.

Over the four-day period, about 100 businesses related to K-dramas, webtoons, Korean food and daily life will operate booths at Olympic Park's handball stadium to display their content and products.

More information like the schedule is available on the festival's official website (mykfesta.com) and its social media channels.

Yune Yang Su, head of the ministry's International Cultural Affairs and Public Relations Office, said, "We hope that this event motivates many Hallyu fans to visit Korea and further expands Hallyu and its industrial value."

This is the official poster for the inaugural My K-Festa. (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism)