By Honorary Reporter Adekoya Oluwaseyi Taiwo and Adekoya Oluwaseye Kehinde from Nigeria
Photos = Adekoya Oluwaseyi Taiwo and Adekoya Oluwaseye Kehinde  

Who says things Korean can only be celebrated in Korea?

Abuja, the capital of the major African nation of Nigeria, hosted the Korean Street Festival 2019 from Sept. 11-12 and 20-21. As the nation's first event of its kind, the festival attracted many Hallyu fans to the streets of the country's Federal Capital Territory to display Korea's beautiful culture and promote awareness of it among Abuja residents.

Aspects of Korean culture featured at the festival included taekwondo, K-pop and Hanbok, which was worn by Nigerians, on all four days of the event in four locations in Abuja. The organizers were Photobarng Ltd. in conjunction with the Korean Cultural Center (KCC) in Nigeria.

On Sept. 11, 12 and 20, the festival attracted a large turnout of onlookers who were both curious about and fascinated by what was happening on the street. They asked questions about what was going on.

A beautiful taekwondo demonstration was performed by the team from the KCC, as well as K-pop dance performances by students from the center's K-pop Academy to "Miroh" by Stray Kids and "Dalla Dalla" by Itzy.

The grand finale was held at Millennium Park, which naturally attracted a huge crowd as many people were seen dropping by to find out what was happening. KCC cultural director Lee Jin-su gave the opening speech and thanked everyone who organized the festival and volunteers who helped out. He also explained the purpose of the event.

A range of traditional Korean games were introduced, and the crowd was given the opportunity to play them. The cultural director played tuho (pitch pot), a traditional Korean game whose object is to throw sticks into a canister. Taekwondo black belt holders also showed off their high-level skills such as jumping kicks, poomsae (forms) and flying sidekicks. And K-pop dancers jammed to BTS' rendition of the Korean folk song "Arirang," "Miroh" by Stray Kids and "DallaDalla" by Itzy. Others showcased their lovely voices while singing Korean songs to entertain the audience.

All in all, the festival was a beautiful four-day event that left a mark in the hearts of those attending. We look forward to next year's edition.

chaey0726@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.