RIYADH: In partnership with the Saudi Entertainment Academy, the Embassy of South Korea in Saudi Arabia is set to host the final preliminary round of its first participation in the K-pop World Festival at the JAX District on Saturday.
30 teams from across the state, including Jeddah, participated in the first preliminary round held at the academy's hall earlier this week.
Of these, only 10 advanced to the final preliminary round, which will take place on Saturday, August 3 at JAX.
The winners of the competition will advance to the finals of the K-pop Festival in Changwon, South Korea in October.
The preliminary round of the competition was organized by the South Korean Embassy represented by Ambassador Choi Byung-hyuk and sponsored by LG Electronics Saudi Arabia under the leadership of Director General Kim Jong-ho.
According to an official statement, through the festival, the embassy aims to show how the relationship between Saudi Arabia and South Korea has progressed from economic cooperation, to include cultural sharing, connecting people through passion for K-pop.
Qualifying teams are set to perform K-pop dances at JAX, a creative hub for artists in the heart of an old industrial heritage site in Diriya.
The K-Pop World Festival, held every year in Changwon, has welcomed artists from around the world, including Kuwait, Singapore, the US, Spain, Ireland, Canada and Cuba.
K-pop has grown in popularity in the state, especially among Gen-Z and Gen Alpha.
To meet the demand for K-pop music and culture in Saudi Arabia, the kingdom hosted its first South Korean music and culture festival, KCON, in Riyadh in 2022.
The opening ceremony featured K-pop artists Ren, Sunmi, and Hyolin as well as bands including Pentagon, Secret Number, P1 Harmony, The Boyz, Ateez, NewJeans, Oneus, STAYC, and TO1.
The second edition of the festival featured artists including Everglow, Highlight, Hyolin, Card, Rise and Super Junior-D&E.
