Korea-UAE Celebrate 40th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations with Online Cultural Event

'Akdan Kwangchil' Contactless Performances and VR Exhibition of Islamic Artworks

Photo by Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] South Korea and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) held a non-face-to-face cultural event on the 18th to commemorate the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations as the "Year of Mutual Cultural Exchange."

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the UAE Ministry of Culture and Youth presented an online performance by the traditional Korean music group 'Akdan Gwangchil' and a virtual reality (VR) exhibition of Islamic art as part of the non-face-to-face cultural event.

The Akdan Gwangchil performance was originally scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi, UAE, but due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19, it was pre-recorded and broadcast online according to the local time.

The performance featured pieces such as "Five Senses," familiar to the local audience, along with modern interpretations of traditional Korean music. The performance video was filmed over three days last month at Saseongam in Gurye-gun, Jeollanam-do, with autumn scenery of Korea as the backdrop. Before the performance, Akdan Gwangchil engaged in a Q&A session through "real-time interaction with the audience," helping to enhance understanding of Korean culture.

The UAE Ministry of Culture will showcase the Islamic art VR exhibition on the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s social media (m.blog.naver.com/mcstkorea) until the end of this year. Visitors can view 10 Islamic art pieces created by artists supported by the 'Al Burda Fund.' The cultural ministries of both countries plan to continue cultural exchanges by preparing events such as the "Korean Popular Music Festival" and participation in the "2021 Dubai Expo."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.