First Lady of South Korea Attends K-Dream Stage 2026, Emphasizes People-to-People Ties

New Delhi: Around 3,000 K-pop fans gathered at Yashobhoomi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi on April 20 as the Korean Cultural Centre India hosted the ‘K-Dream Stage: All India K-Pop Grand Championship 2026’, marking a new milestone in Korea–India cultural exchange.

The large-scale event served as the grand finale of the long-running ‘All India K-Pop Contest’, now in its 16th year since its inception in 2011. Billed as India’s largest K-pop competition, the championship featured only the top 36 winning teams from across India over the past five years (2021–2025), with 25 teams ultimately competing in the final round.

The guests included First Lady Kim Hea Kyung, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Chae Hwi Young, and Co-Chair of the Popular Culture Exchange Committee Park Jin Young. They were joined by around 3,000 local Hallyu fans, creating an electrifying atmosphere at the venue.

The program was divided into pre-event, main event, and post-event segments. The pre-event opened with a K-pop Random Play Dance led by seven leading dancers. Around 50 audience members joined in near the stage, energizing the crowd ahead of the competition.

During the main event, Minister Chae Hwi Young delivered welcoming remarks, followed by a congratulatory message from First Lady Kim Hea Kyung. “I have long been aware of India’s love for K-culture, but seeing such a large and enthusiastic audience filled me with emotion,” Minister Chae said. First Lady Kim added that she hopes the event would serve as a meaningful opportunity to further deepen and expand people-to-people and cultural exchanges between Korea and India.

The competition began with three performances in the vocal category from Abhipriya Chakraborty, Shruti Dasgupta, and Unnati Singh Bilwal. They were followed by three dance category performances from teams MIXDUP, OUTKASTS, and 3Plus4Crew. Each act delivered a five-minute performance.

The judging panel included Park Jin Young, HYBE India’s Lee Woo Chang, and dancer Lip J, who praised the contestants’ skill level. “The Indian contestants’ Korean pronunciation and emotional expression were impressive,” Park said. “While technique is important, connecting with the audience through genuine emotion is even more crucial.”

The event also featured guest performances by girl group X:IN, including Indian member Aria, along with Indian singer Dhvani Bhanushali and K-pop boy group Younite.

During the awards ceremony, Park Jin Young presented the vocal category awards, while Minister Chae Hwi Young presented the dance category awards. The post-event segment included interactive sessions between the artists and the audience, which received an enthusiastic response.

Organizers said the championship created a vibrant platform where the youth of Korea and India came together through music. The Korean Cultural Centre India stated that it will continue to expand Korea–India cultural exchange through K-pop and contribute to the spread of Hallyu and the strengthening of bilateral friendship in India.