Myanmar-Korea cultural festival kicks off in Yangon

A Korea Week activities featuring the largest Myanmar-(South) Korea cultural festival kicked off here Thursday, aimed at promoting business relationship with South Korea. The Korea Week, which will run until Nov. 14, comprises Korean Expo-2012 displaying Korean best products from 55 Korean companies, the 7th Korea Film Festival, K-Pop Cover Dance and Face of Myanmar Contest, K-Drama OST Myanmar-Korea Joint Concert, the 6th Korean Ambassador's Cup Taekwondo Championship and the 10th Korean Speech Contest, said the organizer involving Kotra, Yangon and the S. Korean Embassy. South Korean film festival has been held in Myanmar since 2006 aimed at strengthening the mutual friendship and boosting cultural exchange between S. Korea and Myanmar. In October 2011, a four-day South Korea film festival was held in Yangon under the cultural exchange program between the two countries, in which four Korean films featuring sports were screened, namely "Forever The Moment" and "A Barefoot Dream", " Bronze Medalists" and "Like A Virgin". In 2010's Korean film festival launched here in November, famous Korean celebrities and directors including actor Song Il Gook (Jumong) and actress Lee Hana attended the opening ceremony. Korean speech contest was also held by the Korean Embassy here annually to encourage Myanmar people to study the East Asian country's language. Contestants who passed level-4 or higher of Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK) were allowed to take part. Meanwhile, the South Korean government is offering scholarships for Myanmar's pre-university students to study Korean language in Korean universities with the Chonnam National University of Korea tasked to conduct Korean language courses, testing of the language, compilation and distribution of a Myanmar-Korean language dictionary. In 2006, a technology, culture and business education center was jointly established in Myanmar by the Korean university and the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry.