- “Hello, K!” combines Korean tradition, contemporary art, and IT in an online interdisciplinary K-culture event -

Beginning September 2 (Wednesday), the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST; Minister Park Yang-woo) and the Korean Culture and Information Service (KOCIS; Director Kim Tae-hoon), in collaboration with the Korea International Broadcasting Foundation (KIBF; CEO Lee Seung-youl), hold “2020 Hello, K!,” the Global K-Culture Concert.

Hello K! provides international students in Korea access to interdisciplinary cultural experiences combining Korean tradition, contemporary art, and information technology (IT). This year’s concert will be held online because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and people can access performances and cultural content online globally. Three video series—“Korean Traditional Music Concert,” “K-Pop Concert in Virtual Reality (VR),” and “Korean Traditional Culture Experience”—will be released on the Hello, K! official website and social media pages in consecutive order.

* Website: www.hellok.kr

** YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/hellok/,

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/2020hellok

“Consolation from Korea:” Immersive traditional music concert powered by VR technology

Scheduled for release on September 2 (Wednesday), the first series features the “Korean Traditional Music Concert,” with the theme, “Consolation from Korea.” The series showcases four musical pieces: Amazing Arirang, Cheongseong, Hageum Sanjo, and Sijo ‘Barama.’ The videos were created using virtual reality (VR) technology and offer a truly immersive experience on the beauty of traditional Korean culture and art.

In Amazing Arirang, two folk songs from Scotland and Korea are combined in a new arrangement that would resonate with local and overseas listeners alike. These are Amazing Grace, which consoled people’s hearts globally for centuries, and Arirang, the song that got Koreans through tough times in the past.

Cheongseong is a solo piece for the daegeum, which ancestors believed could ward off invaders and cure diseases. Hageum Sanjo features the haegeum, an instrument representing the virtue of balance by combining the tones of both woodwind and string instruments. In Barama, a seonbi (scholar-nobleman in ancient Korea) likens the wind to the passage of time that brings old age and illness. The four pieces seek to convey messages of hope for the post-COVID-19 world.

A KOCIS member commented, “During this time of hardship brought upon by COVID-19, we hope that Hello, K! will be a gift of heartfelt consolation for all.” He added, “We also hope that Korean culture will spread across the world through the creation and sharing of online content.”