Beyond K-pop, enjoy Asia’s diverse music and culture all in one place

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Minister Yoo In-chon, hereinafter referred to as MCST) and the Korea Foundation for International Cultural Exchange (President Park Chang-sik, hereinafter referred to as the Promotion Agency) will host the ‘2024 Asia Song Festival x Culture Itzio’ on Saturday, October 26 and Sunday, October 27 at the Yeouido Hangang Park in Seoul. This year, in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the ‘Asia Song Festival,’ in addition to music presented by singers from each country, various events such as special programs looking back on the history of K-pop and interactive exhibitions will be held.

‘Asia Song Festival’ 20th Anniversary Celebration Popular Singers Appear in Numbers, History Illumination with K-Pop Cover Dance, Special Stages including Korea-Vietnam Joint Performance

The ‘Asia Song Festival’, which started in 2004, is a comprehensive music festival representing Asia that promotes cultural exchanges and mutual understanding and friendship among Asian countries. This year, it will be held on October 26th at 6 PM at the Water Stage in Yeouido Hangang Park. A total of 10 teams from 7 countries, including 6 Asian countries (Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, and a special invitation from Jamaica), will participate in the festival. This 20th anniversary event is continuing to receive hot interest, with all seats sold out within 5 minutes of the start of advance ticket sales, thanks to the stellar lineup and special program composition.

In Korea, representative singers leading the current K-pop trend such as fromis_9, QWER, 8TURN, and Balming Tiger will appear in large numbers to showcase diverse stages that transcend generations and genres. Overseas, popular Asian stars will gather in one place such as Indonesia’s Afgan, who has recorded over 100 million streams on Spotify, Japanese self-produced singer Tomioka Ai who has many fans in Korea, Jamaican reggae musician Jah-Lil who is called the successor to Bob Marley, WIM who is a member of Thai star band HYBS, and next-generation Filipino singer Dionela. In addition, 8TURN and Vietnam’s My Anh plan to present their first joint stage, making this festival even more special.

There will also be various events looking back on the 20-year history of K-pop. At the opening stage, the K-pop dance team DAOR will present cover dance performances of about 12 teams, from the first-generation K-pop singer BoA, who appeared in the first episode of ‘Asia Song Festival’, to representative fifth-generation K-pop groups. There will also be stage videos, a digital guestbook, quizzes, and ‘Life 4 Cuts’, an exhibition where the audience can directly participate, showing the 20-year history of ‘Asia Song Festival’. This performance will be live-streamed worldwide through the official YouTube channels of ‘Asia Song Festival’ and KBS World, and can also be enjoyed online.

Boracay Beach in the Philippines and Reggae Town in Jamaica unfolding at Hangang Park

‘Culture Itzio’ is a world cultural experience festival that satisfies all five senses, where you can vividly experience unique cultures such as performances, exhibitions, food, and traditional costumes from each country in Korea. This year, it will be held on October 26th and 27th at the Water Light Stage in Yeouido Hangang Park, focusing on experiencing the cultures of the Philippines and Jamaica.

At the exhibition experience area, ‘Philippine Village’, you can learn the Tinikling dance with the Boracay beach in the Philippines as the background and make unique souvenirs through rattan craft experience. You can taste representative Filipino snacks, mango cubes and halo-halo, and take pictures wearing traditional Filipino costumes. At ‘Jamaican Village’, you can learn dancehall dance with the Reggae Town as the background or experience braided hair styling reminiscent of Bob Marley. There are also events prepared to make traditional accessories and taste cocktails and Blue Mountain coffee, one of the world’s top three coffees. At ‘Philippine Village’ and ‘Jamaican Village’, if you complete the ‘stamp mission’ for each experience, you will be given a special gift to add to the fun.

Starting at 4 PM on October 27th, a unique and exciting performance stage will unfold. Representative Korean reggae music, ‘River of Peace’ (Skull & Haha), will perform a joint performance with Jamaican singer Ja Lil. You can also enjoy a special stage by Filipino singer Dionella, traditional Filipino folk performances, and passionate dancehall performances by Jamaican dancers. More information about ‘2024 Asia Song Festival X Culture Itzio’ can be found on the official website (http://www.asiasongfestival.kr) and social media.

Choi Bo-geun, Director of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s International Culture Promotion Policy Bureau, said, “The ‘Asia Song Festival’ and ‘Culture Itzio’ have served as a bridge to introduce various music and cultures to Korea through mutual exchanges with many countries overseas, including those in Asia,” and added, “I hope that many countries will continue to promote harmony among themselves through music and culture, and increase mutual understanding and cultural empathy.”

Editor. Hong Se-yeong