Fest to show hallyu Gangnam style

Seoul’s plush district to host K-pop concert, international fashion show and marathon for foreign visitors and residents


Seoul’s Gangnam district will attract foreign visitors with its annual festival that will feature a K-pop concert, fashion shows and international marathon for six days starting on Tuesday.

Gangnam has recently gained worldwide fame through singer Psy’s “Gangnam Style” music video, which has gotten over 200 million views on YouTube.

“The word ‘Gangnam’ has recently become part of the international vocabulary thanks to the music video,” said district chief Shin Yeon-hee.

“We hope to take this chance to bring a large number of visitors to our festival,” she added.

Started in 2007 as a little-known fashion show, the regional festival has evolved into a large-scale hallyu event, attracting tens of thousands of visitors.

This year, marking its sixth anniversary, Gangnam Festival, to be held from Oct. 2-7 throughout the district area, is expected to bring more than 200,000 visitors, according to Shin.

The festival will kick off with the 10th International Peace Marathon which is expected to draw more than 10,000 participants, including running enthusiasts as well as U.S. forces stationed in Korea.

The race will be held at 8 a.m. on Oct. 3 at in front of COEX in Samsung-dong, southern Seoul. Several courses are available including a full marathon, half marathon and 5-kilometer run, and the participation fee of 20,000 won will be donated to the under-privileged through UNICEF and Community Chest, the organizers said.

Since 2007, Gangnam Fashion Festival has been held annually with the aim of making the district’s fashion streets, such as Cheongdam and Apgujeong, a global fashion mecca.

Under the slogan, “Gangnam, Heart of Fashion Wave,” this year’s fashion event will feature a wide range of programs, including fashion shows, a rookie fashion contest, celebrating concerts and the fashion market from Oct. 4-6 at the special stages in COEX.

More than 70 fashion brands and big-name designers, including Lie Sang-bong, Lee Suk-tae and Ko Tae-young are participating in the event, according to the organizers.

The main highlight of the six-day event will be a K-pop concert scheduled on the final day of the festival.

The concert is scheduled for Oct. 7 at a special stage on Yeongdong Street in Samseong-dong.

Girls’ Generation and Super Junior, honorary ambassadors to Gangnam District, will enchant audiences with their songs and dances. Psy has not been confirmed on the lineup at this time.

Last year’s concert was headlined by star singer Rain, who drew some 20,000 spectators. But this year, around 30,000 visitors are expected to come to see the hallyu stars, the organizers said.

Also, major department stores, shopping centers, hotels and restaurants will offer discounts of up to 60 percent during the festival as part of the Gangnam Grand Sale from Oct. 2-7.

The mayor said Wednesday that she believes the annual festival will enhance the “brand value” of the area and draw more foreign tourists.

“We’re planning to expand it, transform it from a regional festival to a global one,” Shin added.

By Oh Kyu-wook & Kim Young-won
(596story@heraldcorp.com) (wone0102@heraldcorp.com)