Scores gather for K-Culture Town Festival in JHB
The festival grounds were designed like a real Seoul Metro station.
Black News 
Over 3,000 Korean culture enthusiasts gathered for a two-day K-Culture Town—a brand-new, fully immersive festival that took over Kokoro Rivonia Gardens in Sandton this weekend.
The festival grounds were designed like a real Seoul Metro station, letting you travel through different sides of Korean life, one stop at a time.
There were stalls with trendy lifestyle products on display, and shopping stalls packed with K-beauty and K-pop accessories.
Attendees got the opportunity to visit famous landmarks such as the Han River with a picnic set up and eat noodles.
There was also a photo place with the N Seoul Tower backdrop as well as a section to hang up “love padlocks” similar to the ones you would see at the N Seoul Tower.
Others even tried on Hanboks and took pictures to save the memories.
The idea for the festival comes from interest in Korea by South Africans, through watching K-dramas, listening to K-pop and the current wave of K-beauty.
“Interest in Korea has grown enormously in South Africa over the past few years, but most people still experience it through films, series, music and social media,” says Jiyeol YOU, Director of the Korean Cultural Centre South Africa.
“We wanted to create an event where people could step into that world for themselves—not simply by watching Korean culture, but by spending a day inside it.”
For many, it was their first opportunity to experience Korea, which, according to KCC, suggests that the Korean Wave in South Africa is entering a new chapter, “one that is driven by real-world experiences as well as digital fandom.”
The hands-on activities were a major hit.
Attendees got creative with vibrant face painting, alongside traditional Korean mask and fan painting workshops.
“The festival is nice and the food too. I wanted to do face painting because I think it’s cool and it turned out amazing. And the fan painting was also nice cos I got to leave the busyness and sit down and be creative. It felt like I was in Seoul but in Johannesburg,” says an attendee.
From authentic street food to mouth-watering snacks, it was a literal feast for all five senses.
“I have wanted to taste tteokbokki (one of the most popular Korean street foods made with Korean rice cakes) with fishcake and Korean fried chicken, since watching it in dramas. It was so delicious. I’m so excited”, adds another attendee.
Between the explosive main stage K-pop dance covers and deep-rooted traditional heritage, this event perfectly bridged old-school culture with modern global trends.
