Seongbuk Global Village Center hosts "World Culture Understanding Festival: Peru Edition" with about 50 residents, featuring lectures on Peruvian history and culture, traditional food and live instrument performances
Local and foreign residents in Seongbuk-gu came together across nationalities and generations to celebrate Peruvian culture at a community event held in the district.
The Seongbuk Global Village Center hosted the "World Culture Understanding Festival: Peru Edition" on Friday, drawing about 50 Korean and foreign residents.
The World Culture Understanding Festival is a program in which diplomats from foreign embassies in Korea introduce their home country's history and culture while residents take part in hands-on cultural experiences. It is designed to help residents of different cultural backgrounds learn about and connect with one another naturally. Following a Tanzania-themed edition in 2024, this year's program focused on Peru.
Participants learned about Peruvian history and culture through a lecture, sampled empanadas, a traditional Peruvian dish, and took in a live performance of traditional Peruvian instruments. Attendees included Korean residents as well as foreign nationals of various nationalities.
A Korean man in his 20s who attended the event said it was a unique and enjoyable experience. "I was able to learn about Peruvian history and music firsthand — things I rarely get to encounter in everyday life," he said.
A Peruvian woman in her 20s said the music brought back memories of home. "Hearing the performance made me think of my hometown," she said. "I hope events like this continue to grow so more people have the chance to understand cultures from around the world."
Children also joined the festivities with their families. They responded particularly well to a hands-on activity in which they shook traditional instruments along to the live music.
Seongbuk-gu District Mayor Lee Seung-ro said the event offered a meaningful opportunity for neighbors to grow closer. "Directly experiencing and understanding different cultures will serve as a great chance to bridge the distance between neighbors," he said. "We will consistently create opportunities for residents of various nationalities to mingle naturally in the community and deepen their understanding of one another's cultures."
The Seongbuk Global Village Center is set to host a "Latin America Festival" on Sept. 19.
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