Korean Cultural Centre Deepens Nigeria-South Korea Ties Through K-Heritage Festival in Abuja

By:Michael Mike

The Korean Cultural Centre Nigeria has intensified efforts to strengthen cultural diplomacy and people-to-people relations between Nigeria and South Korea through the expansion of its K-Heritage Festival, an initiative aimed at promoting traditional Korean arts, music and cultural education in Nigeria.

Organisers said the Abuja edition of the festival reflects growing cultural exchanges between both countries and a deliberate effort to expose Nigerians to Korea’s rich traditional heritage beyond the globally celebrated K-Pop culture.

Speaking during the event in Abuja at the weekend, the Event Manager at the Korean Cultural Centre, Yoonjin Lee, said the festival was created to showcase the depth of Korean traditional performances and cultural identity to Nigerian audiences increasingly fascinated by Korean entertainment.

According to her, although K-Pop has gained massive international popularity among young people, the K-Heritage Festival was designed to introduce Nigerians to the traditional roots of Korean culture through indigenous music, dance and live performances.

“K-Pop is more like the modern type, more attracted by young people. But the K-Heritage Festival is trying to also bring Korean traditional performances to Nigeria,” she said.

The festival, which debuted in Lagos in 2025, was extended to Abuja this year as part of efforts to widen participation and deepen cultural engagement across Nigeria.

This year’s edition featured performances by Korean traditional performance duo Sorichum, comprising Melissa Minseong Seo and Hyunjung Park, who entertained audiences with displays of traditional Korean music and dance.

Beyond the stage performances, the artistes also organised intensive two-day cultural workshops where Nigerian participants were introduced to Korean fan dance and the traditional Korean percussion instrument known as the Janggu.

Participants who took part in the workshops later performed during the festival alongside students of the Korean Cultural Centre and winners of previous K-Pop competitions.

Lee described the level of enthusiasm and commitment shown by Nigerian participants as remarkable.

“The students only learned for two days, but they performed perfectly. People are really enjoying it,” she said.

According to her, the response from participants and audiences demonstrates that Nigerian interest in Korean culture is evolving beyond contemporary pop entertainment into deeper appreciation for traditional Korean heritage.

She stressed that the K-Heritage Festival forms part of the centre’s broader cultural mission to present multiple dimensions of Korean identity, history and artistic traditions to Nigerians.

“We really want to show different stages of Korean culture. K-Pop is very big, but as a Korean Cultural Centre, we also want to bring traditions and opportunities for people to experience them,” she added.

The growing popularity of Korean cultural programmes in Nigeria mirrors a wider global expansion of the “Korean Wave,” popularly known as Hallyu — a phenomenon driven by the international success of Korean music, films, television dramas, fashion and cuisine.

Over the past decade, South Korea has increasingly deployed cultural diplomacy as a soft-power strategy to strengthen global influence and international partnerships, particularly among younger populations.

Nigeria has emerged as one of the leading African countries embracing Korean cultural exports, with rising participation in K-Pop contests, Korean language classes, film screenings and cultural festivals organised by the Korean Cultural Centre in Abuja and Lagos.

The Korean Cultural Centre Nigeria, established to promote mutual cultural understanding, has continued to organise language education programmes, cultural exhibitions, culinary events and entertainment festivals aimed at fostering closer bilateral ties.

Lee disclosed that organisers are considering expanding traditional Korean cultural activities in Nigeria through additional workshops and festivals, especially in Lagos.

She revealed that plans are underway for another Janggu drum festival while traditional cultural classes are also expected to be strengthened ahead of the possible introduction of K-Heritage competitions in the future.

However, she noted that competitive events currently remain largely focused on K-Pop activities due to their strong youth appeal.

She further announced that another K-Pop Festival would hold later this year in Lagos as organisers continue rotating major cultural events between Lagos and Abuja to ensure broader national participation.

Observers say the growing acceptance of Korean cultural festivals in Nigeria reflects the increasing role of cultural exchanges in international relations, where arts, music and shared experiences are becoming powerful tools for strengthening diplomatic and economic cooperation between nations.

Korean Cultural Centre Deepens Nigeria-South Korea Ties Through K-Heritage Festival in Abuja