Celebrating 'World Citizens Day', the 18th Busan World Citizens Festival Held

From 11 AM to 7 PM on the 20th at Cinema Center, 76 groups from 31 countries participate

Various events including promotion for the 2030 World Expo bid and free movie screenings

Busan City will hold the 18th Busan World Citizens Festival at the Busan Cinema Center in Haeundae on the 20th from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. to commemorate World Citizens Day.

Poster of the 18th Busan World Citizens Festival.

Hosted by Busan City and the Ministry of Justice, and organized by the Busan International Exchange Foundation, Busan Immigration Office and Foreigners Service, and Cultural Welfare Gonggam, this event will feature 76 organizations from 31 countries, including foreign embassies, consulates general, cultural centers in Korea, foreign communities in the Busan area, and related institutions. About 10,000 world citizens will introduce their cultures and performances and have time to communicate and harmonize together.

The event will begin with an opening performance by the Busan City Dance Company, followed by ▲Opening and welcome speeches ▲Award ceremony for Busan City meritorious persons ▲World Citizens Day commemoration and nationality conferment ceremony.

In particular, with the transition to the COVID-19 endemic phase and the resumption of overseas exchanges, performance groups from Japan and Kazakhstan will visit Korea to add excitement to the festival.

To commemorate the 1st anniversary of the Busan-Almaty sister city agreement, the Consulate General of Kazakhstan in Busan has invited about 50 Kazakh performers to Korea to showcase traditional Kazakh culture and arts. A special Kazakhstan zone will also be operated to introduce unique culture to Busan citizens.

Additionally, booths representing countries from the Americas, Asia, Africa, and Europe will offer direct and indirect experiences of world cultures through traditional craft exhibitions, food and cultural experiences, and distribution of tourism promotional souvenirs.

On the main stage, traditional performances by groups from Japan, Kazakhstan, Tanzania, Belarus, Ecuador, and Korea will be held, as well as the ‘Sympathy Cultural Arts Festival Eolsigo! (All See Go!: World Star ? K in Busan)’ featuring foreign residents as contestants, and a world costume contest open to all world citizens on site.

Also, on the 6th floor of the Cinema Center, in cooperation with the Korea-Africa Foundation and the Busan International Children and Youth Film Festival, the ‘Stories of World Citizens in Films’ event will be held as part of world citizen education, screening two films produced by youth from around the world and African filmmakers free of charge.

More than 150 multinational volunteers will participate as event operation supporters, and voluntary participation by Busan citizens and foreign residents will add significance through promotional activities for the 2030 Busan World Expo by the Expo Friends, composed of 171 world citizens, and promotional activities for Busan city administration by the Busan City New Media Members.

Mayor Park Hyung-jun said, “The 18th Busan World Citizens Festival is a meaningful event that fits the theme ‘A Global City, Connecting the World,’ showcasing Busan as a city good for connecting the world and hosting the 2030 World Expo. I ask for the interest and participation of many Busan citizens.”

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