Yeungnam University hosts traditional Korean weddings for 5 foreign couples at folk village

North Gyeongsang Province and Yeungnam University have launched a traditional Korean wedding program to help foreign residents settle into their local communities. The 2026 North Gyeongsang Province Traditional Wedding Pilot Program for Foreign Residents, organized by the Yeungnam University Museum with provincial funding, got underway Oct. 11 at the Yeungnam University Folk Village in Gyeongsan.

Five foreign couples are taking part — two from India and one each from Sri Lanka, Ghana and Vietnam.

Participants completed a preparatory session in August, learning the meaning and etiquette of traditional Korean weddings, as well as the ceremonial attire and procedures involved.

The ceremonies will be held every Saturday and Sunday through Oct. 25 at the inner courtyard of Uiinjeongsa, a traditional building within the folk village, with each couple taking part in turn.

Each ceremony follows traditional rites — including jeonanrye (the presentation of a wooden goose), gyobaerye (the couple's formal bow to each other) and hapgeunrye (the sharing of a ceremonial cup) — as the couples exchange vows in the Korean style before family members and local residents.

The program goes beyond a simple cultural experience, serving as part of a settlement-oriented immigration integration policy aimed at helping foreign residents understand Korean traditional culture and build ties with their local communities.

North Gyeongsang Province and Yeungnam University said they plan to use the program to strengthen foreign residents' sense of belonging and support their stable integration into local life.

"A wedding is an important ritual celebrated not just by family but by the whole community," said Kim Jae-yun, director of the Yeungnam University Museum. "We hope the traditional wedding ceremony becomes an opportunity for foreign residents in North Gyeongsang Province to find their place as members of the local community."