by The ‘K-Pop Cover Dance Festival in Canada,’ created by Hallyu fans worldwide, was held at the Canadian History Museum at 7 pm (local time) on the 9th, in an offline and online two-track format with the enthusiastic support of Canadian Hallyu fans. It was opened. It was hosted by the Korean Cultural Center in Canada (President Lee Seong-eun) and the Seoul Newspaper and sponsored by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the Korea Entertainment Producers Association, the Korean Music Performers Association, the Seoul Tourism Foundation, New Era, All K-Pop, and Pentacle.
Teams passed the online qualifiers participating in Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto, and Alberta filled the stage. Fans who enjoyed the stage itself, such as cheering and encouraging each other and interacting with the audience, were conveyed intact. The fans who communicate through K-Pop became the main characters, and the heat was even hotter.
As K-pop music flowed from the stage, a hot response erupted from all over the audience. Local youth, as well as family audiences, enjoyed the performance together. Meghan, who attended the festival, said, “It was the best night I’ve had in the last two years. Thank you very much for participating in this meaningful festival.”
In a congratulatory speech, Ambassador Jang Gyeong-ryong of the Korean Embassy in Canada said, “I am pleased to meet Canadian Hallyu fans face-to-face through the K-Pop event on October 9, Hangeul Day. The popularity of Hangeul today is thanks to fans who love K-pop, and all the participating dance teams are winners. I want to express my deep gratitude to everyone who prepared hard.”
Loona Chu and Jinsol, appointed as special judges, also communicated with local Korean Wave fans online in Virtual Studio, cheering and communicating with love.
After a heated performance, the 12-member female group ‘UNIT ONE,’ which covered Loona’s ‘Paint the Town,’ was honored with the championship. Unit One members, made up of students in their early 20s, said, “I still can’t believe that we won. The thought of representing Canada is heartbreaking and a great honor. Thanks to the team members who practiced together, we achieved great results. I am excited to be on the big stage to meet the world champions.”
Lee Seong-eun, director of the Korean Cultural Center in Canada, said, “I was surprised by the love and dedication of local fans for K-pop dance and Korean culture. All the participating teams were great, so it was difficult to decide the winner.”
The ‘2021 K-POP Cover Dance Festival in Canada’ was held in compliance with the quarantine rules of the Canadian government for many Canadian Hallyu fans who had solid aspirations for the offline K-pop stage due to the COVID-19 outbreak. All participants and spectators were required to submit vaccine certificates, and all visitors wore masks and strictly followed quarantine rules such as hand sanitizer.
The ‘2021 K-Pop Cover Dance Festival’, which marks its 11th anniversary this year, is the world’s first and largest K-pop online/offline Hallyu fan communication program. It is a K-pop campaign that contributes to the continuous spread of Hallyu culture and aims to communicate and empathize with Hallyu fans. The winning teams from each country will be invited to the finals of the World Finals and enjoy a stage of hot exchange with multinational K-pop fans.
