International promoters and content creators dedicated to spreading the Korean Wave, known as Hallyu, will gather in Seoul this weekend for a major cultural celebration. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will host the annual K-Wave Festival on November 8 at the CKL (Contents Korea Lab) Stage, located within the HiKR Ground tourist information and cultural center in Jung-gu District.
The festival serves as a recognition event for Korea's global cultural ambassadors, including 1,498 Honorary Reporters from 101 countries who actively promote Korean culture worldwide through Korea.net. The celebration will also honor 1,303 K-influencers operating across 95 countries and participants in the international Korean content competition called Talk Talk Korea. These individuals have played crucial roles in expanding Korea's cultural footprint on the global stage.
A total of fifteen awards will be distributed during the ceremony, with five recognition awards each going to top-performing Honorary Reporters, outstanding K-influencers, and first-place winners in various divisions of the Talk Talk Korea competition. The competition attracted an impressive 76,296 entries, from which 79 works were selected as finalists and will be showcased in a special exhibition.
The winning works exhibition will begin at HiKR Ground in Seoul from November 4-9, then travel internationally to Korean Cultural Centers in Vietnam, Indonesia, and Belgium, remaining on display through March 2026. This traveling exhibition demonstrates the ministry's commitment to sharing Korean cultural content with global audiences beyond the festival itself.
Festival attendees can participate in various interactive activities designed to create an engaging and celebratory atmosphere. The event will feature a speed quiz testing participants' knowledge of Korean culture, allowing both local and international guests to showcase their understanding of Korea's rich heritage. Additionally, the venue will host congratulatory performances by the renowned taekwondo demonstration team K-Tigers Little Junior, known for their dynamic martial arts displays that blend traditional Korean martial arts with modern entertainment elements.
The entertainment lineup will also include performances by EPEX, a popular K-pop boy band that serves as the promotional model for this year's Talk Talk Korea competition. Their participation highlights the continued global appeal of Korean popular music and its role in cultural diplomacy. For those unable to attend in person, the entire festival will be livestreamed on Korea.net's official YouTube channel at youtube.com/GatewayToKorea, ensuring global accessibility to the celebration.
This annual gathering represents the growing international network of individuals and organizations committed to promoting Korean culture worldwide. The diverse participation from over 100 countries demonstrates the expanding reach and influence of Hallyu, encompassing everything from traditional arts and cuisine to contemporary entertainment and technology innovations.
