All India K-Pop Contest 2023 draws 4,000 participants

All India K-Pop Contest 2023, held on Saturday to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between South Korea and India, drew 4,000 participants who bonded over their shared love for Korean culture, according to the Korean Cultural Centre India (KCCI).

The grand finale of the event was hosted by the KCCI at the Thyagaraj Sports Complex here, a press release stated.

The event was attended by Chang Jae-bok, Ambassador of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea to India and Hong Ju-jeon, MD, LG India.

Prachi Sharma from Delhi and Itanagar-based group With Nine were named winners in the vocal and dance categories, respectively.

Jaisri Shruti (Bengaluru) and Manya Singh (Lucknow) emerged first and second runner-ups in the vocal category. Groups Outkasts (Delhi) and Axiom (Mumbai) bagged first and second runner-ups positions in the dance category, respectively.

The contest, which began as a long-term project in April, witnessed approximately 11,000 participants in the initial online round. 

It was followed by the regional round, which took place in 11 major cities across India, including Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai, and Itanagar. The journey culminated in the semi-finals held in New Delhi, where 12 teams advanced to the grand finale. 

After the semi-finals held in July, the finalists took five days of vocal and dance training from Korean singer Hyunsu, who became famous from the audition programme "Voice of Korea" and dancer Yamakasi, known for performing on stage with popular bands like BTS and SHINee. 

Hwang Il-Yong, director of the KCCI, expressed gratitude for the interest of the participants as well as the audience members. 

"We feel that K-Pop has become a means of communication not only within Korea but also with people around the world. We hope that K-Pop can offer dreams and hope to the youth in India. The Korean Cultural Centre India will continue to make every effort to provide a dream stage for everyone who loves K-Pop and Korean culture," Hwang said in a statement.

A live video call with girl group X:IN, which includes Indian member Aria, added to the excitement of the contest.  

The grand finale also featured a congratulatory performance by Korean boy group MCND, consisting of members Castle J, Bic, Minjae, Huijin, and Win. The quintet performed their hit songs "ICE-AGE" and "Crush" along with the Indian song "Tu Meri" at the event.

Saurabh Kumar, Secretary (East Asia), Ministry of External Affairs, and his wife were the VIPs for the event.