The K-Wave Festival on Nov. 8 is held at the theater CKL (Content Korea Lab) Stage of the tourism center HiKR Ground, with award-winning content creators from abroad posing with their awards in a group photo.

By Jeon Misun
Photos = Lee Jeongwoo

A networking event for foreign promoters and creators of Hallyu (Korean Wave) was held in Seoul over the weekend.

The K-Wave Festival on Nov. 8 was hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism at the theater CKL (Contents Korea Lab) Stage of the tourism publicity center HiKR Ground in Seoul's Jung-gu District, with over 200 people attending including foreign cultural promoters.

To celebrate the occasion, the junior taekwondo demonstration team K-Tigers Little Junior and K-pop boy band EPEX, both of whom are promotional models for the annual content contest Talk Talk Korea, delivered performances that energized the atmosphere. The event was also livestreamed worldwide on Korea.net's official YouTube channel.

Fifteen people were honored at the event, with five selected from each of three categories: Honorary Reporters (1,498 members from 101 countries), K-influencers (1,303 from 95) and competitors in the global content contest Talk Talk Korea for introducing Korea to the world.

Talk Talk Korea this year drew more than 76,000 submissions from around the world, showing global interest in Hallyu. The 79 winning works will be first showcased in Seoul and later at Korean Cultural Centers in Vietnam, Indonesia and Belgium in a touring exhibition.

Maulidya Putri Aji (left) from Indonesia gives her acceptance speech and the five individuals (right) named outstanding K-influencers this year pose for a group photo. From left to right in the latter photo are Chae Su-hee, director general of the Global Public Relations Bureau at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism; Franco Hill (Venezuela); Nadia Micaela Medina Reguilon (Argentina); Estrella Conejo Montecino (Mexico); Maulidya Putri Aji (Indonesia); and Mathilde Sainte (France).

Maulidya Putri Aji from Indonesia, who received the Outstanding K-influencer Award for creating content connecting Islamic and Korean cultures, said, "Participating in this program gave me an opportunity to grow. This award is not the end but a new beginning."

Myrtle Iris Villaraza  (left) from the Philippines gives her acceptance speech and the five winners (right) of awards for Honorary Reporters this year pose on stage. From left are Chae Su-hee, director general of the Global Public Relations Bureau at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism; Eman Ahmed Mohamed (Egypt), Hanum Nur Aprilia (Indonesia), Hoang Xuan Tung (Vietnam), Myrtle Iris Villaraza (Philippines) and Jose Alirio Pena Zerpa (Venezuela).

Myrtle Iris Villaraza of the Philippines, who has been an Honorary Reporter since 2015, said, "I never imagined I would be celebrating my 10th anniversary like this," adding, "I still remember the moment I was first selected. This program has greatly supported my growth and helped me share the Korean culture I love with the world."

Hai Anh Tran (left) from Vietnam gives her acceptance speech and the five winners (right) of this year's Talk Talk Korea pose for a group photo. From left are Chae Su-hee, director general of the Global Public Relations Bureau at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism; Vina Aulia Zakiah Sodikin (Indonesia); Citra Auly Maulida Rizka  (Indonesia); Marylee Loya (Mexico); Hai Anh Tran (Vietnam); and Sara Mohamed (Egypt).

Hai Anh Tran from Vietnam, who said her fascination with Korean culture began in middle school, majored in Korean studies at university and now works at a Korean company. She won first place in Talk Talk Korea's Photo Book category.

"I believe that if a city or country draws you in, it means there is already a story waiting for you there. For me, that place was Seoul," she said in Korean. "I am very happy to receive this award as it allowed me to capture the emotions and memories when I first arrived here."

Chae Su-hee, director general of the ministry's Global Public Relations Bureau, said, "We will continue to support foreign promoters who share Korean culture with the world in a friendly and diverse manner," adding, "We hope that K-culture helps expand global interaction."

msjeon22@korea.kr