Gov't to host Korean music festival in London

South Korea will host a Korean music festival in London next month to enhance the global interest in Korean music initially sparked by the popularity of K-pop, the government said Thursday.

The second edition of the "K-Music Festival" will be held from Sept. 1-30 in several performance halls in downtown London featuring a rich lineup of Korean traditional and contemporary musicians, said the Korean Cultural Center UK, which is hosting the event.

The roster includes Su:m, a traditional Korean musical duo; Jambinai, a unique crossover band that combines traditional Korean music and post metal; indie bands such as The Barberettes and No Brain; and Noreum Machi, a group that performs samulnori, a traditional percussion quartet. There also will be a performance by pansori singers Nam Sang-il, Park Aeri and the Korean National Gugak Center.

Pansori is a traditional Korean narrative song while "gugak" means traditional Korean music.

The last festival was held in 2013 and received favorable reviews from British media, according to its sponsor, the Korean Culture and Information Service.

Officials expect the festival, put on with the participation of "Serious," one of Europe's largest music agencies, will help competitive Korean artists make advances in the European market. (Yonhap)