Korean Cultural Centre India Rings in Seollal with Cultural Extravaganza

New Delhi: The Korean Cultural Centre India celebrated Seollal, the Korean Lunar New Year, with a vibrant cultural event that brought together 80 Korean language learners from ASN Senior Secondary School in Mayur Vihar.
The event was a treasure trove of Korean traditions and customs, featuring traditional games, food, and performances. Participants enjoyed Yutnori, a traditional Korean board game, and Phalssireum, an exciting arm-wrestling competition, with seven students winning traditional Korean bookmarks as prizes.
The students also learned about key customs of Seollal, including Sebae, a deep bow of respect to elders, accompanied by New Year’s greetings. They savored Tteokguk, a traditional Korean rice cake soup, which symbolizes purity and new beginnings.
The highlight of the event was the enactment of a Korean folktale, Heungbu and Nolbu, by Indian artists. The folktale narrates the story of two brothers with contrasting personalities and highlights the values of kindness, compassion, and virtuous behavior.
The event was a resounding success, with students and participants alike praising the cultural extravaganza. Medhansh Mehta, a student from ASN Senior Secondary School, said, “The message of the play was that we should not be greedy and that we should treat our younger brother and everyone else very nicely.”
Hwang Il Yong, Director of the Korean Cultural Center in India, said, “I hope that this Lunar New Year event will help the students feel more familiar with Korean culture. With the popularity of K-pop and Korean dramas, interest in experiencing Korean culture in depth is also increasing in India.”