Dubai Festival City Mall has turned into the place to be for fans of Korean culture or those wanting to learn more about it.
Small white stalls line the open space in the mall, each filled with items linked to the country.
There is a hanbok stall with tradition Korean clothing visitors can try on. Another features Korean arts and crafts, while yet another allows visitors to test out the latest skincare and beauty products.
“To Korea, Where K-Culture Begins” is a two-day event being held to promote tourism as well as South Korean culture. It was organised by the Korean Tourism Organisation and the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism.
There are a mix of travel and culture stalls as well as an indoor stage for dance performances.
At 6pm, things shift outdoors, where popular Korean food such as gimbap and kimchi will be served, as well as a stage for more performances, including one by K-Pop boy band MCND and fusion group sEODo Band.
Emirati friends Alia, 18, Fatima, 21, and Hagar, 23, were most excited to see MCND, creating a sign that says “Welcome to Hot Age” — a reference to their 2020 hit single Ice Age — in what is the boy band’s debut performance in the Middle East.
“I’m interested in K-Pop so I love them,” says Alia. “I’m always here when there’s an event or something. I’m so happy to see them.”
Fatima shared similar thoughts, saying that she has been a big fan of the genre since 2009.
She found out about the event from following the KTO account, while Hagar learnt about it from a K-Pop group chat she is apart of.
“So every time someone is coming to Dubai, we just get excited together and come together,” she says.
Other than music, there is also promotion of travel with brochures and maps that tie into Visit Korea Year, a two-year campaign to entice more people to the country.
The space also offers a peek into wellness with a K-beauty skin lounge, nail art station and even a stand featuring a K-spa, or jjimjilbang, meaning public bathhouse.
Nima Elnour, 22, who is from Dubai, randomly stumbled upon the event. However, she says that it has made her consider a future visit after learning more about the beauty and wellness that South Korea can offer.
“I’m interested in beauty and wellness, got to stay pretty,” Elnour says with a laugh. “So, I would be so interested to do a purely wellness-based trip to Korea. I just think now everybody is into K-beauty so I think that’s my main attraction.”
Event runs until Saturday; 10am to 10pm; www.dubaifestivalcitymall.com
