LOCAL AUTONOMY

Interesting new programs added this year

2013 Itaewon Global Village Cul-
ture Festival slated on Oct. 12-13

The 2013 Itaewon Global Village Culture Festival will be held in the entire area of the Itaewon Special Tourism Zone in Yongsan District in Seoul for two consecutive days on Saturday and Sunday on Oct. 12-13, 2013.

The Festival is designed to provide both the Korean people and the expatriate residents in Korea with a rare opportunity to sample and personally experience various traditional cultures of the different countries of the world in one place, Itaewon.

The Itaewon Global Village Culture Festival was first held in 2008, and has now become one of the representative festivals of the Seoul, the capital city of the Republic of Korea. The Festival has continued to add new programs and events every year to provide to all the participants new experience and new excitement, and this is so especially this year.

On the first day of the Festival on Oct. 12, 2013, there will be a large-scale World Culture Parade participated in by a total of over 800 persons from 29 countries of the world.

The parade will start from the Han’gangjin Subway Station, pass through the Itaewon Street and reach the Opening Ceremony Stage at the Noksapyeong Subway Station, which encompasses a total distance of about 1.5 kilometers.

The Parade will be led off by the Republic of Korea National Defense Band, a Traditional Korean Military Band and Honor Guards, and will include a traditional Korean wedding performance, a traditional Korean Royal Procession, a Traditional Costume Parade of various countries of the world--plus Dance and Folk Art Performances of various countries of the world.
At the Closing Ceremony at 6 pm on Oct. 13, 2013, there will be traditional Korean music performances of traditional Korean art of multi-genre. The final item of the closing ceremony will be a traditional Korean tug-of-war.

Through a wide variety of traditional cultural performances, various food booths and street artists, there will be a lot to see, eat and enjoy. The visitors will also have a chance to personally take part in the events with full exposure to the different cultures of the world. It will be a place of harmony and unity.

The 2013 Itaewon Global Village Festival is hosted by the Itaewon Special Tourism Zone and organized by the Government of the Yongsan District of Seoul.

As usual, the annual event of Itaewon Global Village Festival will bring excitement, fun, a great party, the taste of wonderful food, and an amazing experience.

The Itaewon Global Village Festival will bring together a fun mix of Korean traditions and foreign cultures, K-pop stars live performances, World Food Zone showcasing 50 different kinds of food and parade joined by 1,000-plus people to name just a few.

In a word, this festival stands out as one of the most internationally diverse celebrations in Seoul. It is a fantastic multicultural event where people learn about and experience different cultures.

A range of events take place during the festival with an opening ceremony, band line-ups, DJs, and traditional dance performances from here and abroad, as well as the Global Food Festival which runs throughout the weekend.
For those who look to downtown spots for a break from their busy city life, the festival will offer a chance to do so.

Starting at 2 p.m. on the first day, musicians and dancers will take to the street for concerts, which will be followed by World Cultural Performances where folk dances and music of various countries will be presented.

The performances will be held every day during the festival period. In the evening, a party will be held by famous DJs from Itaewon’s clubs.

The second day will be the official beginning of the festival. A parade with 1,000 participants in 25 teams will take place for two hours from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on the 1.5-kilometer section from Hanjangjin Station to Noksapyeong Station.

More than 60 food booths will be set up along the street, presenting authentic cuisine from all over the world at affordable prices. Korean residents of Yongsan will also offer traditional Korean cuisine.

Itaewon is a city district, in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It is served by Seoul Subway Line 6 via Itaewon, Noksapyeong and Hanganjin stations. About 22,000 people reside in the district and it is a popular area for residents of Seoul, tourists, and U.S. Military personnel in Korea.

Many restaurants serving international dishes are found in this area including cuisine from India, The United States, Canada, Germany, Spain, Italy,England, France and Mexico, foods that are not widely available in Korea.

Essentially, it's known as "Western Town"; reminiscent of many Chinatowns in many Western countries.

Itaewon is also, along with Insadong and Seoul Tower, one of the most popular areas in Seoul for tourists.

Major hotels such as The Grand Hyatt and local landmark The Hamilton Hotel can be found here as well as dozens of shops and services aimed at tourists. High quality leather products in Korea can be found here at reasonable prices as well as various types of traditional Korean souvenirs. Counterfeit goods and clothing are ubiquitous and of varying quality, but some genuine goods which are produced in Korea for the international market as well as some authentic imports can sometimes be found here. Itaewon is also known to have various tailors that peddle their services for making custom-made suits.

About 90% of all people working in and around Itaewon speak very good English. k

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