[Arts & Culture] 2025 Korea Season part 3: A cultural taste of Korea in Spain

It's Friday, which means it's time for Arts and Culture.

We have our culture correspondent Choi Soo-hyung in the studio.

Welcome back, Soo-hyung!

Happy to be back here!

Soo-hyung, I know you have some exciting stories from abroad. You went to Spain, right?

That's right, Dami. I went to Spain where this year's "Korea Season" has been taking place.

In 2022, the South Korean Culture Ministry launched the Korea Season project, aiming to promote a vivid richness of Korean culture to the world.

One country is selected each year that has strong potential to spread Korean culture, offering a year-long series of cultural programs.

This year, Spain was chosen following the United Kingdom in 2023 and France in 2024 in hopes of making this year a more meaningful one for cultural exchanges, especially as South Korea and Spain mark the seventy fifth anniversary of diplomatic relations.

Indeed, and Soo-hyung, I've seen the dance performance in your previous articles that you covered earlier this week.

How was the main performance?

Yes, Dami. I covered a performance that represents this season.

In the capital, Madrid, there is a cultural landmark named Matadero Art Theater.

It was once used as a slaughterhouse and market, but now it has changed into a cultural site.

You know, Spain is a country renowned for its dance and passion and Korean also loves dance and music as well sharing many similarities.

There was a special dance performance, blending traditional and modern Korean dance.

Three Korean teams recognized both at home and internationally in festivals like the Edinburgh Fringe, took part.

The theme was "Two Cultures, One Heart," showcasing Korean traditional and contemporary dance with Spanish artistry, marking a powerful highlight of this year's Korea Season.

And for the encore, the highlight of the performance, the entire audience danced together to the Korean folk song, "Ganggangsullae," a circle dance, as one a true moment of cultural harmony.

Away from the stage, displays introducing Korean musicals and traditional desserts representing the taste and styles of Korea a treat for the eyes and taste buds.

Local media outlets responded very positively, and visitors also really enjoyed it.

( 8 !!! !} "The performance was amazing. It was a mix between what you can know about contemporary dance and things you didn't know about Korea, but you can interpret or think about. I want to see more. I want to go to home and searching to YouTube and see more performances."

"It's very funny, we are so far but we have the same system to protect our identity through the culture, through the tradition, through the idea to move the tradition to another way to be, to express. So the past and the future always together, always dancing together."

The reactions were exactly what the Artistic Director of the 2025 Korea Season, Kim Shin-ah, had hoped for.

She wanted to create a show people would want to see again, even years later, with an open and positive mindset, and she clearly succeeded.

Wow, what a magical performance.

Then, Soo-hyung, you said the Korea Season will offer a year-long series of cultural programs.

What else can Spain enjoy?

Through the end of this year, a dynamic cultural journey will unfold across Spain not just in Madrid.

In particular, the Korean Cultural Center in Spain is set to host around 60 events throughout the year.

The center is carrying out efforts to expand Korean culture, from fine arts, literature, webtoon, fashion beyond just K-pop.

These are the key events remaining in the 2025 Korea Season.

In September, K-Webtoon Festival, K-Content Expo, and K-Beauty Festival are awaiting visitors to showcase the country's cultural range.

Also, the Center has designated October as Literature Month, promoting Korean literature as a focus country at Madrid's Liber International Book Fair and the guest country at Barcelona's Kosmopolis International Festival of Literature.

All right, Soo-hyung.

Let's hope this year's Korea Season ends on a high note.

Thank you for sharing your reports.

My pleasure.