4-Hour World Tour!... 'Seongdong Global Cultural Experience Festival' Held for Children

Children's Festival to Experience Traditional Cultures and Languages of the World Held on December 14 from 1 PM to 5 PM at Seongdong-gu Office 3rd Floor Auditorium... Entire Event Led by Native Speakers, Offering Opportunities to Experience Traditional Games, Folk Performances, Food, and Diverse Cultures Worldwide

Seongdong-gu, Seoul (Mayor Jung Won-oh) announced that it will hold the ‘Seongdong Global Cultural Experience Festival’ on December 14 from 1 PM to 5 PM at the 3rd-floor auditorium of Seongdong-gu Office.

In South Korea, foreigners account for 5.07% of the total population, totaling 2,602,669 people, and in April this year, it was designated as a multiracial and multicultural country for the first time among Asian countries.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) classifies a country as multiracial and multicultural if the proportion of foreign residents exceeds 5%.

In line with this trend, Seongdong-gu is holding the ‘Seongdong Global Cultural Experience Festival’ for the first time this year to allow local children to directly experience traditional cultures and languages from around the world and to enhance their multicultural sensitivity.

Fitting for a global festival, the children’s entry process is uniquely conducted, drawing attention. The event officially begins when participants receive passport-shaped admission tickets and pass through immigration inspection conducted by native speakers. After completing all the passport stampings from each country’s experience, Turkish ice cream will be provided.

All processes of the event, including immigration inspection, are conducted directly by native speakers, allowing participants to experience traditional costumes, foods, and games from representative countries across continents such as Asia, America, Europe, and Africa.

Notable activities include ▲making traditional Korean folk painting scrolls and playing Tuho ▲experiencing the Japanese traditional game ‘Darumachigi (Daruma Otoshi)’ and making ‘Yoyo (Kendama)’ ▲making Chinese Peking opera masks ▲making Vietnamese traditional hats (Non La) ▲playing the American tossing game (Cornhole) ▲making maple leaf-shaped glass crafts (Suncatchers), a symbol of Canada ▲and creating a pop-up book of Big Ben (the clock tower in London, UK). Exciting traditional performances such as music by the African Union musicians ‘Strong Africa’ and Kyrgyzstan folk dances will also be held.

▲Korean Dalgona ▲Japanese fruit mochi ▲Vietnamese fresh spring rolls (Goi Cuon) ▲Turkish ice cream and other global snacks will be prepared. There will also be a Christmas photo zone to enjoy the year-end atmosphere and traditional costumes from various countries for commemorative photos.

The district previously accepted advance participation applications from local children through quick reservations on the Seongdong-gu Office website, and all proceeds from on-site participation fees will be donated to the Seoul Community Chest of Korea.

Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, said, “Through the ‘Seongdong Global Cultural Experience Festival,’ I hope children can easily and enjoyably encounter world cultures and deeply understand various countries and races,” adding, “We will continue to show interest and support so that children, the future leaders of Seongdong-gu, can grow into talents who embrace cultures from around the world.”