By Honorary Reporter Minnath Azeez from Sri Lanka

Photos = Korean Embassy in Columbo

Poster for "Korea Week" (Korean Embassy in Columbo)

The Korean Embassy in Columbo, Sri Lanka, from Dec. 14-20 hosted the South Asian nation's first online "Korea Week" featuring Korean cultural content that included a mukbang (live broadcast of someone eating) and an online lesson in cooking Korean cuisine.

The event's first day had a Hallyu webinar with managers of leading K-pop fan clubs in Sri Lanka who gave their opinions of the genre's spread in the country and discussed their projects there. 

Bangtan Sri Lanka, a BTS fan club, organized charity projects by donating blood, meals, wheelchairs and school supplies in the name of the K-pop sensation. The club was also the nation's first to display LED ads on each BTS member's birthday in leading domestic cities.

At the opening ceremony, Korean Ambassador to Sri Lanka Jeong Woo-jin said, "I'm glad that K-pop and K-dramas have grown widely popular among Sri Lankans. It's encouraging to know that even if many fans don't know Korean, they make an effort to learn the lyrics and enjoy the melodies. As a bridge between Korea and Sri Lanka, I'd like to express my satisfaction over how K-pop culture is bringing our two countries much closer." 

The second day saw the embassy's chef demonstrate making bibimbap (rice mixed with vegetables in spicy red pepper paste) as part of an online class on Korean food. This dish is known for its balance of flavor and nourishment. 

Korea Week had a meokbang event. (Korean Embassy in Columbo)

The meokbang event on the third and fourth day showcased three Sri Lankan women eating a variety of food ordered from Korean restaurants in Colombo. The trio tried over 30 dishes including favorites like tteokbokki (spicy rice cake), Korean-style fried chicken and japchae (stir-fried glass noodles with vegetables and meat).

Prior to the event, the embassy organized its first online edition of a Korean speech contest due to COVID-19 restrictions in Sri Lanka. Over 85 participants including myself competed in two topics: anything related to Korea and a unique experience with the Korean language. I chose the latter category by describing similarities between Korean and Tamil, one of Sri Lanka's two official languages. 

My entry in the embassy's Korean speech contest was about similarities between Korean and Tamil. (Korean Embassy in Columbo)

My speech was based on an article I wrote on Oct. 9 this year for the Korea.net contest "Talk Talk Korea" on the occasion of Hangeul Day. Korean and Tamil have over 500 words in common. Tamil was introduced to Sri Lanka because of the latter's close proximity to India and Indians who visited the island country. 

King Suro of the ancient Korean kingdom of Geumgwan Gaya married Princess Suriratna of the Indian kingdom Ayodhya. Their marriage is said to have led to similarities between the languages of the king and his bride.

The contest's winners were selected by teachers at the Kandy branch of King Sejong Institute and Korea Corner, along with the ambassador and embassy secretary Chae Eo-na. This was my first time participating in the competition and I received the K-wave Award.

Korea Week concluded with the opening ceremony for the inaugural Virtual Korean Ambassador's Cup Taekwondo Championship and livestreamed performances from the Sejong Center for Performing Arts in Seoul. Those who missed these festivities can see them on the embassy's official YouTube channel.

enny0611@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.