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네이버 공유 카카오 공유 트위터 공유 페이스북 공유

Korea and its Culture Introduced to Audiences in Central Asia

A “Classic Compositions of World Art and Epoch of the National Revival 2009” event was organized and presented by the Ministry of Culture and Teleradio-Broadcasting of Turkmenistan (June 22-28, 2009). In conjunction with this event, the Korea-Central Asia Culture Exchange Association arranged a variety of activities to celebrate a “Korean Culture Day” held at Alp Arslan National Theater of Art in Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan.

For the Korean Culture Day celebration, the government of Turkmenistan extended an invitation to the Korea-Central Asia Culture Exchange Association. Accordingly, our association carefully selected high-quality cultural programs and groups to participate in this cultural event, as a mainly private initiative. As a result, a diverse range of representative performances were staged, thereby helping to raise awareness of Korean culture among the audiences in Turkmenistan.



Outdoor Performance
The festivities opened with a tightrope walking and clown performance by Anseong Municipal Namsadang Baudeogi Pungmuldan, followed by invigorating presentations of Korea’s drum dance, Taepyeongmu (dance of peace), and mask dance, along with a Taekwondo demonstration and hanbok (traditional Korean attire) fashion show, which were well-received by the residents of Turkmenistan. Of particular note, students of the Korean Language Department of Azadi National University participated as models for the hanbok exhibition, which attracted the keen attention of the audience. This event provided an ideal opportunity for local students, with an interest in Korea, to take part in the efforts to promote understanding of Korean culture.
The mask dance and Taekwondo demonstration, two vibrant aspects of Korean culture, struck a chord with the audience, who repeatedly shouted out words of encouragement. The tightrope artists had the people gasping aloud, while the infectious rhythms of pungmul (farmers’ music and dance) were enough to have many in the audience swaying to and fro. Everyone in the audience, both young and old, seemed to be having a thoroughly enjoyable time.
Because of problems with the theater’s stage system, theperformances were held outdoors. With daytime temperaturesreaching 40°C, there was much concern about whether thisstifling heat would discourage people from attending our presentations, which were scheduled to begin at 6:00 in the evening. However, contrary to our apprehension, a large crowd of people streamed into the venue, giving us a sense of relief as well as an incentive to reward the audience with an entertaining evening. With not many people being familiar with Korean culture, it was all the more gratifying to see such a large turnout, which included local residents and other festival participants.
In particular, the audience was thrilled by the board-breaking demonstration by a team of Taekwondo specialists, who dramatically displayed Korea’s indigenous form of martial arts. During a thunderous round of applause, you could hear people shouting “Korea!” to punctuate their hearty enthusiasm. After the performance, as the performers visited a museum and local marketplace, the residents who recognized us gave the thumbs up sign, while saying “Good!” This positive feedback brought wide smiles to everyone’s face, adding to our sense of satisfaction.

Glimpse of Korean Culture
Our performance on June 26 was attended by leading government officials of Turkmenistan, including a group of vice prime ministers and ministers. Together with performances of samulnori (traditional percussion music), lion mask dance, and hwagwanmu (floral crown dance), a traditional wedding ceremony was also enacted. For this, the bride and groom were portrayed by local residents of Korean descent, who might have been generally aware of Korean culture, but have never had the chance for a personal experience like this demonstration.
At the conclusion of our performance, everyone joined together to sing the Korean folk song “Arirang” in the Turkmen language, to the accompaniment of samulnori. In addition, all of the festival participants, representing 19 countries, gathered at the auditorium to introduce aspects of their respective cultures. Although only a small step, our participation in this event was a most memorable and fulfilling experience.



Cultural Exchange
The Korean delegation was highly praised at a farewell dinner hosted by the Turkmenistan Ministry of Culture and Teleradio-Broadcasting. Personally, I believe this reflects the sincere efforts that were made to present informative and entertaining performances. We are also thankful for the encouragement and support of the board of directors of the Korea-Central Asia Culture Exchange Association.
Though the Turkmen population includes ethnic Korean residents, in large part they have little direct contact with Korea and Korean culture. As such, it is hoped that this festival can serve as a starting point for the promotion of Korea-Turkmenistan cultural exchange activities, in order to develop a better understanding of each other and to foster more cooperative relations.

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