By Korea.net Honorary Reporter Bojana Doneva from Bulgaria
Photos = Bojana Doneva

Each university in Korea holds its own festival every May. I had the chance to attend the Daegu University Festival from May 28-30 at the university's Gyeongsan campus in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province. Tents offering a host of activities and Korean and international cuisine were spread throughout the campus. Student clubs and organizations also set up their own club-themed tent cafes and restaurants, and foreign students from Belgium, Kenya, Mexico, the Philippines, Turkey and Vietnam shared their respective countries' leading dishes.



The festival's main highlight, however, was concerts held each evening during the three-day festival period featuring the K-pop balladeers Hynn, DK and K.Will (May 28), rappers Loopy and Nafla (May 29), and ballad master Im Hanbyul and K-pop group Ikon (May 30).

Right after finishing my Korean-language classes for the day, I headed straight for the festival's main venue. When I arrived around 3 p.m., the area around the stage was full of ikon fans both Korean and non-Korean who came early to get seats close to the stage. Some said they had camped out from early morning despite the hot weather.



Curious to know what attracted them to the group, I asked a few questions to ikon fans, whose official fan club is called Ikonic, from Algeria, Australia, Bulgaria, Ecuador, Japan, Korea, Malaysia and the Philippines. Most of them had seen the group in concert before both in Korea and abroad. On why they liked ikon, the answers included "They produce their own music and also like exploring new genres and songs"; "Their songs are great, their lyrics touching and all the members so handsome"; and "I enjoy seeing their hardworking selves."

One fan said, "What makes Ikon unique is its stage presence. The group really knows how to get the public hyped and rock the stage." I nodded in agreement.



The concert was preceded by several events and performances. First, Korean students competed in a quiz on basic history. Then came performances by the cheerleading squads of Daegu, Keimyung and Daejeon universities, which got the audience excited and pumped before the concert started.

Balladeer Im Hanbyul then walked on the stage to perform. His unique vocal tone and amazing singing ability melted the hearts of many that night. The water bubble stage effects shooting bubbles up to the starry sky accompanied his soothing voice and created a beautiful atmosphere. The crowd also sang along, with students finally able to relax after a long day of study.



Then Ikon made its long-awaited appearance on stage. The seven-member group performed hits like "Love Scenario," "Rhythm Ta," "Bday," "Dumb and Dumber" and "Bling Bling." The moment the members walked on stage put the audience into a frenzy, with people getting hyped and jumping and singing along to every song. Ikon members also started spraying water guns over the audience in an unforgettable experience. Leader B.I even walked down from the stage to sing right in front of the group's ecstatic fans. Members interacted with fans until the very end by posing for photos and performing not one but three songs in the encore. After seeing the group perform live, I realized just how skilled Ikon really is in firing up the crowd and performing on stage.

The Daegu University Festival was a wonderful experience and a great way to relax with delicious food, wonderful music and a variety of unique activities. I eagerly await next year's edition.

wisdom117@korea.kr

*This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.