By Emma Weidmann | Staff Writer
The Korean Student Association is hosting the Korean Culture Festival from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday in Cashion 506 in celebration of Korean Language (Hangul) Day.
Taichung, Taiwan, sophomore and KSA event chair Paul Yoon said the event will have no Western influence — just “raw Korean culture,” with traditional dance performances by Lily’s Hosanna Dance Group and a traditional dress fashion show. The event will also include K-pop dance performances to add a modern flair.
“There’s no Western music, nothing foreign to Korean culture,” Yoon said. “We’re trying to replicate Korean dances, Korean music … I think that’s just essential when spreading Korean culture to others … We want to show the roots of our culture and traditions to people.”
Yoon said it’s important to show Korean culture in ways beyond just K-pop and pop culture.
“There’s so much more to Korean culture than pop culture,” Yoon said. “I love BTS; they’ve helped spread Korean culture worldwide. But there are so many more dances and music and traditions that us Koreans follow … We have deeply rich roots.”
Plano junior and KSA president Lauren Tanghongs said planning the event has been a long process that has taken the work of all 10 KSA officers and the help of their advisers.
“Everything was a first time for us,” Tanghongs said. “Our advisers have been really great in helping us prepare since they’ve done it before.”
Saipan, Mariana Islands, junior and KSA vice president Allan Lee said the event is an opportunity to see traditions that students may have never experienced before, since these performances tend to be so specialized.
“A lot of Baylor students don’t get access to those traditional dances, and even a lot of Koreans that live here don’t get access to them,” Lee said. “We’re excited to show everyone what that is like.”
Having grown up in a Korean household, Yoon said researching for the event brought him even closer to his culture.
“I don’t think I would have thought about Korean culture this deeply if it weren’t for this preparation process,” Yoon said. “Preparing for this event with our officer board and our team helped me do my own research and really dive into Korean culture and traditions for myself.”
