Expo 2020: The best of K-Pop is coming to Dubai

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Dubai - Stray Kids, a K-Pop band with 34 million followers on social media, has been appointed ambassadors for the Korean pavilion.

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Anjana Sankar

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Published: Sun 11 Jul 2021, 2:45 AM

For fans of Korean art, music and tech, a jamboree awaits at the country’s pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai.

Moon Byung-Jun, Consul-General of the Republic of Korea, said they will woo visitors with the best K-Pop bands and technological innovations.


“We are bringing popular K-Pop stars to Dubai and there will be weekly performances. Some of the bands, like Stray Kids, have millions of followers in the region, and they will perform at the Expo,” said the consul-general.

Stray Kids, a K-Pop band with 34 million followers on social media, has been appointed ambassadors for the Korean pavilion.


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There will be daily shows and performances where visitors can soak in Korean, art and music, the diplomat said, adding that thousands of Koreans are eager to visit Dubai during the Expo.

“Dubai is renowned for its world’s first, biggest and tallest attractions and achievements. And we have many things in common. Both Korea and Dubai don’t have many natural resources. But in the last two decades, our countries have witnessed huge development. Both of us have overcome many difficulties using our creativity, innovation and technological prowess,” said Moon.

He added that it is very important for Korea to participate in the Expo, considering its strategic relations with the UAE. “We have strong bilateral relations, especially with our involvement in building the Barakah Nuclear power plant. The Expo will help expand on these ties.”

The Korean pavilion is very unique, the envoy said. “It is highly creative and future-oriented. We have the fifth biggest pavilion at Expo and is located at the Mobility District. True to our theme ‘Smart Korea, Moving the World to You’, we will be showcasing Korea’s tech prowess to the world,” said Moon.

Renowned Korean architect Moon Hoon has designed a dynamic façade for the pavilion that constantly moves and interlaces real and virtual environments.

Hoon has used 1,590 rotating cubes, which are digital and analogue, to create continuously moving images on the exterior of the pavilion. “The cubes react and move according to a software programme. So, it can be a face, an image, a text. Visitors do not need to enter the pavilion to experience it. The exterior is like an art installation itself,” Hoon told Khaleej Times in a previous interview.

The consul-general said the five-storey design interprets the concept of ‘a group dancing with excitement’ and seeks to embody Korean dynamism across a floor area of more than 5,200sqm.

The open interior will feature a spiral-shaped exhibition space, allowing visitors to enjoy panoramic views of the Expo 2020 site.

The Asian nation renowned for its tech prowess will also host events to capitalise on the ever-increasing global popularity of its cinema, television and music.

Korea will also highlight its status as a world leader in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, through cutting-edge technologies, including artificial intelligence, virtual reality and the Internet of Things.

“When people enter the pavilion, they will be given a mobile phone and they can create their own avatars and virtually visit Korea’s hi-tech cities, and cultural and tourist attractions. We will also introduce you to our most innovative technologies that can bring the world closer,” said the diplomat.

anjana@khaleejtimes.com


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