Han-French Music Festival Held in Seorae Village, Seocho-gu

On the 17th, the ‘Banpo Seorae Korea-France Music Festival’ will be held in Seorae Village, a ‘Little France’ in Seoul

Invited singer performances and various experiential events provide a communication space enjoyable for all ages

District Mayor Jeon Seong-su: “We will support the Korea-France Music Festival to develop into a music festival that promotes cultural exchange between Korea and France”

A music and cultural festival will be held in Seorae Village, known as the ‘Little France’ in Seoul.

Seocho-gu (District Mayor Jeon Seong-su) will hold the 2023 ‘Banpo Seorae Korea-France Music Festival’ on the 17th at the parking lot near the Seoul Regional Public Procurement Service in Seorae Village.

Held for the first time in four years due to COVID-19, this festival has established itself as a representative local festival of Seocho-gu, where about 2,000 residents and foreigners gather and enjoy together every year.

The festival will be held from 4:00 PM to 8:30 PM, divided into a pre-event and two performance parts. The district expects this festival to be an opportunity for residents to experience French culture and for foreigners to learn about Korean culture.

The first part features performances by local residents and French students, including a choir by students from the French School, a chamber orchestra performance by students from Bangbae Middle School, vocal performances at the community center, and a clarinet ensemble from Namsan Church.

2019 Korea-France Music Festival Performance

The second part of the performance will open with the ceremony hosted by broadcaster Kim Seung-hyun. It will include a performance by musical actor Kim Ji-wook’s four-member team Ilsonatore, chanson singers Monsieur Go and Chanson J, and jazz performances by musician Kim Young-soo, offering a special musical gift. In particular, trot singer Hong Jin-young’s performance is expected to heat up the Korea-France music festival even more.

As a pre-event, experiential booths will be operated to introduce Korean seasonal customs through traditional games such as ttakji-chigi (paper tile flipping) and tuho (arrow throwing). Additionally, food booths and food trucks offering a variety of French cuisine will be available.

This event is hosted by the Banpo 4-dong Residents’ Autonomy Committee (Chairman Jang Young-hwa).

The district has created ‘Paris 15th District Park’ in Seorae Village to commemorate the friendship with the 15th arrondissement of Paris, a sister city. Every Christmas season, a French traditional market is held, selling traditional French year-end party food and drinks as well as Christmas gifts, fostering harmony between French and Korean local residents.

District Mayor Jeon Seong-su said, “We will support the Korea-France Music Festival to develop into a music festival that promotes mutual understanding and cultural exchange between Korea and France by leveraging the unique characteristics of Seorae Village.”