A Hanbok performance at the event. — VNA/VNS Photo

HUẾ — The “Việt Nam – Republic of Korea (RoK) Culture Day 2025” opened in the central city of Huế on the evening of September 27, featuring around 100 booths introducing cultural, tourism, culinary, and traditional products from both countries.

Organised by the People’s Committee of Huế City in collaboration with the Korean Embassy in Việt Nam, the two-day event is part of a nationwide series of cultural diplomacy activities in 2025, designed to foster friendship and cooperation between the two nations.

More than a cultural and artistic exchange, the event also served as a large-scale people-to-people and cultural diplomacy initiative, reflecting Huế’s aspirations for deeper international integration and affirming its growing stature as a centrally-run city. It further provided a platform for practical cooperation in culture, tourism, trade, and creative industries.

Phan Thanh Hải, Director of the municipal Department of Culture and Sports, emphasised that the RoK has long been a particularly important and close partner for the city. Over the past two decades, many RoK-funded projects have left a lasting impact. Since 2007, Huế has successfully implemented six ODA projects with a total capital of some US$55 million. From 2022 to 2026, the city continues to receive non-refundable aid projects through the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), while Korean investors are showing growing interest, with several projects underway. 

An art performance at the event.

Cultural exchanges have also flourished, with activities in music, cinema, cuisine, and fashion during the Huế Festival and Community áo dài (Long Dress) Week further deepening the friendship between the people of the two countries and reinforcing Huế’s position as a creative, connected destination.

The Việt Nam – RoK Culture Day not only tightened bonds of friendship but also offered local residents the chance to discover and appreciate the richness of the Korean culture. Hải expressed his hope for more cultural and artistic exchanges in the future, alongside broader and deeper cooperation between Huế and Korean localities.

At the event, visitors could try on Hanbok, take part in Korean folk games, enjoy traditional dishes, join K-pop random dance activities, admire handicrafts and Huế’s iconic long dress, and observe traditional craft demonstrations. Notably, Gyeongju – Korea’s ancient capital and host of the 2025 APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting – took part in the event for the first time.

A highlight of the programme was a series of performances blending tradition with modernity, featuring Huế royal court music – recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity – alongside Korean traditional music (Gugak), as well as dynamic K-pop and V-pop shows.

The event featured performances by the Korean art troupe Uheeska, Vietnamese singer Minh Hằng, and numerous artists and artisans from Huế and other localities across Việt Nam, offering a unique cultural space that combined tradition and modernity. — VNA/VNS