[GLOBAL ECONOMIC TIMES]  A festival celebrating Korea-Thailand soft power exchanges and cooperation will be held in Bangkok, Thailand. 

The Korean Culture Center in Thailand (KCC) and the Korea Thailand Communication Center (KTCC) are Hosting the Thailand-Korea Soft Power Festival 2024, which will take place on November 9 at Suralai Hall on the 7th floor of Iconsiam, Bangkok.

The Embassy of the Republic of Korea, the Thai Ministry of Culture, the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA), and the Thailand Creative Culture Agency (THACCA), among other cultural government bodies and corporations from both Korea and Thailand, will join to showcase both countries' traditional and popular cultures, marking the first event of its kind.

The festival will be held in three parts: starting on the first day with a "Tradition" exchange performance, followed by "For the Youth." 

On the second day, the event will extend to the Rachawadee Home in Nonthaburi, featuring performances and donations as part of the “Together with Society” segment.

For the “Tradition” performance, nearly 100 professional dancers from Korea will visit Thailand to showcase traditional Korean performances rarely seen in Thailand, including a Korean royal costume and hanbok show, a large flag show featuring both nations, and traditional dances such as Tae-pyeong-mu, Jin-soe Dance, and Gil-no-ri. The Thai Ministry of Culture has also selected Thai traditional performances, including Muay Thai and Taekwondo demonstrations.

In Part 2, "For the Youth," fans will experience a blend of K-POP and T-POP. 

The globally popular "On the K" online concert series, initiated during the COVID-19 pandemic, will debut in Thailand, featuring Taemin from SHINee, girl group Secret Number, boy groups ONF and The Boyz, among others, for Thai fans. 

Thailand's T-POP group New Country from GMM GRAMMY will also deliver a live performance.

Additionally, the top two winning teams from the 2024 Thailand K-POP Cover Dance competition will present special performances.

A highlight of the "For the Youth" segment is the "Show Your Soft Power" competition, where 10 finalists selected from 100 auditioning teams will compete in dance, vocal, magic, and Muay Thai acts to showcase the dreams and passion of Thai youth.

On November 10, KCC, KTCC, the Korean performance team, and the Korea Copyright Protection Agency will visit Rachawadee Home in Nonthaburi to entertain the children with performances and to donate Korean products and essential items.

As Thailand has established the Thailand Soft Power Strategy Committee, underscoring the rising importance of soft power in economic development and international exchanges, this year's Thailand-Korea Soft Power Festival 2024 has been expanded from last year’s K-Soft Power Festival in Thailand.

Participating organizations include KOCCA, THACCA, Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), Seoul Metropolitan Government, Korea Copyright Protection Agency (KCOPA), Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT), Thailand-Korea Friendship Association, Seoul Traditional Culture and Arts Promotion Agency, LG, Jinro, Coway, Jungart & Company, Iconsiam, Kwellness, GMM Grammy, MCOT, Mellow POP, and KTCC Media.

Korean Ambassador to Thailand Park Yong-min commented, “Korea and Thailand, who have long maintained a close brotherly relationship, are both soft power nations with a rich blend of tradition and contemporary culture. This festival will serve as a means to further strengthen our friendship and to lay the foundation for mutual growth through soft power cooperation.” 

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