Japanese High School Students Experience K-pop in Hongseong

10 Youths from Shizuoka Visit Korea K-POP High School
Four Days of Cultural Exchange Through K-pop and Traditional Experiences

On July 28, Chungnam Province announced that 10 youths from Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, will participate in the "K-pop Talk Cafe" program, where they will learn about and experience Korean culture for four days and three nights at the Korea K-POP High School located in Hongseong.

This program, now in its sixth year, is a private cultural diplomacy project that facilitates exchanges between Korean and Japanese youths through K-pop and traditional culture.

The participants were selected from Shizuoka Prefecture through a highly competitive process with a ratio of 150:1. They will spend time living and communicating with 10 Korean students.

The youths will learn Korean through K-pop lyrics, make their own performance costumes, and enjoy various cultural activities such as Samulnori and Hanbok experiences.

In addition, K-pop classes will be organized into dance teams and girls' hip-hop teams according to the participants' interests and skill levels.

A collaborative stage performance featuring both Korean and Japanese students is also planned.

On this day, the youths shared their passion while learning K-pop choreography and songs, and also toured local attractions in Chungnam, including Boryeong Gaehwa Park.

The province plans to make the "K-pop Talk Cafe" a regular event, further expanding mutual visits and joint projects between youths of both countries.

Yoon Jooyoung, Director of Investment and Trade Policy for the province, stated, "K-pop is a cultural medium that resonates with youths around the world," and added, "We will continue to broaden the scope of global understanding through diverse cultural and artistic exchanges."