Jeonbuk State announced that it successfully hosted the "18th Multicultural Harmony Festival" on the 19th at the Sunchang Fermentation Theme Park complex under the theme "Diversity Adds Flavor, Jeonbuk Shaped Together."

Celebrating its 18th anniversary this year, the Multicultural Harmony Festival was designed to foster a sense of local community so that multicultural families can live harmoniously with their neighbors, and to promote understanding and exchange of different cultures.

Under this year's slogan, "Diversity Adds Flavor, Jeonbuk Shaped Together," the festival drew inspiration from Sunchang's fermentation culture to embody the meaning of different cultures and people coming together to create a single harmony.

The event brought together some 1,000 participants, including multicultural families from across the province, local residents, and staff from city and county family centers, who experienced foods and traditional cultures from around the world while enjoying various performances and programs.

The commemorative ceremony was graced by major figures, including Jeonbuk State Economic Vice Governor Go Jeong-sam, Jeonbuk State Assembly Vice Chairperson Park Jung-gyu, Jeonbuk State Office of Education Education Bureau Director Choi Ji-yoon, Sunchang Deputy County Mayor Cho Kwang-hee, and Family Center Association President Jang Deok-sang.

At the venue, global culture experience and promotion booths were operated to introduce the foods and traditional cultures of various countries such as Vietnam, China, the Philippines, Cambodia, and Myanmar. Programs tailored for family participation, including musical instruments and traditional game experiences, were also arranged.

In addition, Sunchang County and the Sunchang Fermentation Tourism Foundation promoted the Sunchang Jangryu Festival and local tourism events, creating an opportunity to showcase local culture and tourism alongside food and hands-on experiences.

A variety of performances also caught the eyes of visitors. The children's puppet show "Cat and Me" and an audience-participation "K-POP Random Play Dance" were held, creating a festive atmosphere that people of all ages could enjoy together.

Notably, the "Multicultural Harmony Arts Festival" featured performances reflecting the cultural characteristics of each region and married immigrants, with participation from city and county family centers. Performances such as traditional Vietnamese dances, Sogo-chum (small drum dance), K-POP dances, Filipino dances, and Korean traditional music continued, earning enthusiastic responses from the audience.

Alongside this, warm sharing for multicultural families and children took place from the local community. Local organizations and groups prepared various sponsored items such as clothing, books, food, and daily necessities, and delivered them to the families participating in the event, adding meaning to the sharing.

This sponsorship embodied the local community's intention to care for and support multicultural families and children together, making the meaning of the festival even warmer.

Jeonbuk State Economic Vice Governor Go Jeong-sam stated, "Through the Multicultural Harmony Festival, residents with different cultures and backgrounds had a precious time to understand each other and mingle together. We will continue our efforts to ensure that multicultural families and foreign residents can live stably and grow together in the local community so that diversity can become the strength of Jeonbuk."

[Copyright (c) Global Economic Times. All Rights Reserved.]