Ohio State’s Korean Student Association and Korean International Student Organization are coming together to host the Korean Culture Show this weekend.
The Korean Culture Show is an annual show put on by both organizations, and will consist of performances that showcase traditional and modern aspects of Korean culture.
“It’s our biggest event of the year,” Angela Zhang, vice president of KSA and co-director for the show, said. “Besides it being a collaborative event, it’s ultimately to allow people to have an entertaining way to learn about different aspects of Korean culture.”
The show will also have activities such as Korean martial arts taekwondo to illustrate the wide array of Korean culture. Moreover, Zhang said the show will feature traditional performers, instrumental covers, singers and dancers.
The two organizations are passionate about spreading their culture to Ohio State students, both traditional and modern themes, and getting away from what is typically portrayed as “Korean.”
“OSU is such a diverse campus, so even if you aren’t explicitly related to Korean culture, it’s a good way to expose yourself to something different from stereotypical Korean culture,” Zhang said. “There are a lot of rich traditional themes that we want to showcase as well. It’s an interesting way to learn about a different culture, and a way to show what KSA and Korean culture is all about.”
Andrew Choi, KSA’s treasurer, said this is a really big part of their performance.
Choi said a popular ongoing Korean drama called “Secret Garden” will show a few clips during the show, and they will also have a few video ads that parody Mukbang, a video fad showing an entertaining way of watching someone eat.
As for the crowd itself, Zhang said the organizations expect a good turnout of students as they usually have in the past.
“The audience has always been very hype about the different performers that come up on stage,” Zhang said. “We try to promote the event to live up to the hype and that’s the best payoff — seeing everyone enjoy the hard efforts we’ve put in and learn more about culture.”
This year’s Korean Culture Show will be held at 6 p.m. on Saturday in the Performance Hall at the Ohio Union. Admission is free.