The Korean Cultural Center Nigeria (KCCN) has been at the forefront of promoting and supporting Korean culture in Nigeria. Over the years, the centre has hosted numerous events and classes for culture enthusiasts; from Taekwondo (태권도) and K-pop dance to Hansik (한식) cooking classes, hanbok (한복) exhibitions, Hallyu (한류) content creation, the Global Korean Scholarship, and concerts across Nigerian campuses.

In 2024, the K-pop festivals lit up several campuses, with major stops in Abuja and Lagos, and a grand finale at the Eko Hotels and Suites in collaboration with LG. Thanks to this consistent promotion, more people continue to join the growing K-community, making it stronger with each passing year. This year, to mark its 15th anniversary, KCCN held the K-Heritage Festival, showcasing spectacular performances by OWNDO (온도) and Samulnori E-Seo (사물놀이 이서).

OWNDO, a three-member Korean band featuring Kim Ahyoung (vocal), Choi Jiwoo (keyboard), and Ha Dongmin (daegeum - 대금), is famous for fusing traditional Korean sounds with Western music to create mind-blowing performances. They first gained recognition as TOP8 finalists on Channel A’s Vocal Play and TOP6 on JTBC’s Poongryu: Battle Between the Vocalist. Their uniqueness has also earned them an Encouragement Award at MBC’s Riverside Song Festival – New Challenge.

On the other hand, Samulnori E-Seo, whose name translates to “together as four,” is a traditional Korean performance ensemble made up of Wi Yeonseung, Moon Doyeon, Jin Seunghun, and Park Hyunki. Endorsed by Samulnori’s founder, Master Kim Duk Soo, this group has performed internationally in New Zealand, Singapore, the UK, and Austria, and now, Nigeria. They are dedicated to preserving the Korean instruments playing tradition while infusing creativity into every performance.

The festival began with an exciting taekwondo display, followed by a jarring mash-up of K-pop songs performance by B-Stars, a Nigerian dance crew. An opening video then narrated the remarkable journey of KCCN over the past 15 years, highlighting the community, scholarship recipients, honorary reporters, and memorable events. After the recital of both national anthems, the Korean Embassy in Nigeria and Korean Cultural Center officials delivered the opening remarks.

The first musical act was Samulnori E-Seo, who performed Mungut and Gil-nori (문굿과 길놀이), Binari (비나리), and Samdo Nongak Garak (삼도 농악가락). Their show was a beautiful mix of chanting music and thunderous rhythm of the traditional instruments consisting of drums and gongs that took the audience to another level. One beautiful observation was how the performers were lost in the moment. The intense pounding and hitting of the instruments must have been physically tasking, but at some point, it felt like they weren’t the ones performing any longer, proving the spirituality of art, its depth, and beauty.

OWNDO followed, bringing in a modern flair with songs like Great Korea is Alive, Peek-A-Boo (Red Velvet), My House (2PM), Forest, The Wave, Holo Arirang (홀로 아리랑), and Golden (from the fictional girl group HUNTR/X in K-pop Demon Hunters). At this point, the energy in the hall soared as fans sang along and cheered with excitement.

The highlight of the night came during the collaborative stage between the two groups. Samulnori E-Seo performed the spectacular Sangmori Nori (상모리 놀이), a traditional Pungmul (풍물) folk dance where performers wear hats with long ribbon streamers (sangmo) that spins, fly, and trace circle dramatically through skilled head movements while drumming and singing. These dazzling ribbons beautifully added extra spice to AhYoung’s vocal for the collaborative stage which got everyone dancing on the stage together as they invited the audience.

This festival proved that culture indeed is borderless and a symbol of unity between people of different countries. The fun was not one-sided because the energy flowed from the stage to the audience and vice-versa with the cheerful screams and clapping of sounds. During the Sangmori Nori performance, there was a sharp, coordinated, intense, and continuous “HA!” sound from the audience to ginger the performance who were lost in their own beautiful world.

After the performances, a lively photo session took place, with attendees capturing memories alongside the artists. On the red carpet, friends reconnected, snapped pictures, and tried on hanboks for a deeper taste of tradition. Today, lovers of Korean culture in Nigeria are no longer seen as “different.” Instead, they stand proudly as part of a growing community that has come a long way together.

If one sentence could sum up the evening, it would be: “Art is indeed without borders..”

Happy 15th Anniversary, KCCN!