Korean Culture Festival had me shed a tear

OPINION: I would be lying if I said I didn’t shed a tear in the dark auditorium during several performances at the Korean Culture Festival held on the 28 May.

I was so taken by the energy in the room from the moment that the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea, Sang-jin Lee, expressed their vision that the K-Culture Festival could continue to strengthen the relationship between Aotearoa and Korea.

The tears continued to well up during Te Ohorere Williams and Jason Bae’s strikingly beautiful performance of Hine e Hine. I have never felt so much awe in the Michael Fowler Center auditorium before than in the moments after the piece had ended, where the poised and comfortable silence held the energy of anticipation for what the day had in store.

Te Ohorere Williams and Jason Bae performing Hine e Hine | Photo: Supplied

It was only as the day went on, I realised that the pauses after each performance were probably the only times that the building would be silent, as each floor had its own set of intertwined bustling noises.

On the ground floor you could hear the warm greetings to newcomers to the festival, the lively percussive rhythms of Samul nori (사물 놀이), all combined with the singing of courageous folk who unabashedly committed to karaoke in the foyer.

On the next floor up were the sizzling sounds of jeon (전) and the wafting scent of spicy ttoekbokki (떡볶이) being prepared for eagerly awaiting customers. This was also the place I where I heartily enjoyed some foods I had never tried before, which includes a Korean fish cake called Eomuk (어묵) and an irresistible drink called yuzu-ade.

Warmth radiated from people on this floor too, as they gleefully ran to try on the Korean National Dress called the hanbok (한복) or to try their hand at making traditional Korean crafts called Jogakbo (조각보). Intermingled were the sounds of patient volunteers guiding people how to read and write their own names in hangul (한글) with beautiful calligraphy brushes. 

The Seoye (Korean Calligraphy) station | Photo: Supplied

Also present were the sounds of inquisitive people asking about lessons run by the Korean Education Centre in New Zealand, travelling to Korea, and checking out Korean ceramics. Every person I met at a stall was very kind; this was particularly evident when I spent a solid 20-minutes enquiring in detail about the free Korean classes and again when I had a slight panic about my Korean culture knowledge when I was cornered into doing a short pop quiz. During my panic, I looked over to the other side of the floor and saw some adults enjoying games such as ddakji (딱지), which I recognised from Squid Game, which reminded me that not knowing the answers to a short quiz is not that bad.

I have played ddakji (딱지) once before in my Korean classes, and one thing that I have always appreciated about my teacher is how they incorporate aspects of learning about Korean culture into each lesson. They have always been the parts of the lessons I look forward to the most.

Attending this year’s K-Culture Festival gave me so much joy because it brought those lessons to life with such vibrancy and wonder. And I was clearly not the only one to feel that way. I could see this in the way that people rushed to try on hanbok ten minutes before the event ended and seeing faces in the crowd that I had also spotted at the beginning, still hanging around at the end in order to make the most of their time.

The bustling K-Culture Festival 2022 | Photo: Supplied

Indeed, it was in those small moments, like at the end of a performance or waiting for my second round of milk tea (whoops), that I contemplated the opening speeches of the event. I came to realise how wonderful it is that relationship building between nations can be accomplished with such beauty and fun. I had previously perceived this kind of relationship building as being this far-off, scary thing that only businesspeople in formal attire can do. However, during the festival, I saw that relationships can also be fostered through connection, learning, and being open-minded. Irrespective of how much you knew or have experienced of Korea, your background, or your age, you were welcomed at the K-Culture Festival.

The other fabulous thing about such events is that they also provide avenues for deeper relationship building with one another, not only across nations. Through the experiences I had at the festival, I was provided with several things to connect with my Korean language learning classmates about, had more things to discuss with my friends at dinner, and with colleagues who asked me about my weekend. The knowledge sharing doesn’t necessarily have to stop at the event close.

If you couldn’t attend the K-Cultural Festival this year, I encourage you to attend the next one, as I really struggle to see any downsides. Because really, all that good stuff and yet the K-Culture Festival was free entry? It has to be seen to be believed. 

If I had to pick one thing that I would have changed about my experience at the K-Culture Festival is that I would have made a replica of myself, so that I could be in multiple places at once. Alas, science has not progressed that far. So, perhaps I will just have to settle for going again next year, to get my third round of milk tea. But hey, that is more than okay with me.

 - Asia Media Centre