Niteroi, a city in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro, has officially named Aug. 15 as Korean Culture Day. Shown is the official notice of the Niteroi municipal government on the designation. (Screen capture from website on Brazilian gazettes)

By Kim Seon Ah

Niteroi, a southeastern Brazilian city in the state of Rio de Janeiro, has officially named Aug. 15 Korean Culture Day.

The city council on July 27 announced in its official gazette passage of the bill on the day proposed by councilor Andrigo de Carvalho. 

Niteroi will hold a commemorative event every year on Aug. 15, which is National Liberation Day in Korea, as well as lectures, forums and seminars to promote Korea to locals.

Brazil now has six regions marking Korean Culture Day. Niteroi, the state of Sao Paulo and its eponymous capital, and the cities of Campinas and Piracicaba celebrate the occasion on Aug. 15, while the city of Curitiba does so on Feb. 12