KUALA LUMPUR: The Covid-19 pandemic could not prevent the Korean cultural wave from coming alive to captivate and amuse Malaysians recently.
South Korean ambassador Lee Chi Beom said their diverse cultural flavours and 'K-content' were loved very much by many the world over.
"I believe Malaysia is one of the leading countries spreading the Korean cultural wave.
"Looking back this year, everyone including myself, went through difficult times.
"However, we are successfully overcoming the (Covid-19) pandemic now towards an economic recovery," said Lee, at the launch of the '2021 K-Culture Festival Malaysia' featuring the exclusive screening of the Korean movie 'Seobok', at the Golden Screen Cinemas, Mid Valley Megamall.
It was followed by a performance by the top dance winners of the 'K-Pop World Festival in Malaysia' - the 'Valerinx' dancers (comprising Ean Ean, Tang Yuen, Angie Ng, Chern Jun and Yong Mun Yee); Sam Shun En; Angelin Goh and Emilia Chu; and Damia Zara.
Guests later were treated to a Korean fare that included kimchi, bulgogi and tteok-bokki by Lee, his wife Ha Seong Hee and embassy staff.
The festival runs from Dec 1 to 5 with the free public screening of the movies 'Seobok', 'Minari' and 'The Hypnosis' at GSC Mid Valley Megamall.
Tickets can be redeemed via the GSC e-payment (website or mobile app) or GSC e-kiosk at GSC Mid Valley.
Among the ambassadors present were Thailand's Chainarong Keratiyutwong, Spain's Jose Miguel Corvinos Lafuente, Oman's Sheikh Al-Abbas Ibrahim Hamed Al Harthi, Tajikistan's Ardasher Saeedjaafar Qodiri and the Philippines' Charles Jose.
Lee was appreciative of Malaysians supporting the Korean culture and their efforts in overcoming the Covid-19 pandemic.
Thus, he said, the '2021 K-Culture Festival Malaysia' was the embassy's appreciation and support for Malaysians.
The festival, he added, was the kickstart for the 'K-Film Festival' and 'K-Play event', culminating with the 'K-Speech Contest' at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia on Dec 11.
On the movies, Lee said 'Minari' was well received worldwide for its great acting performance, while 'Seobok' and 'The Hypnosis' concerned different genres that demonstrated the originality and artistry of the Korean culture.
"After watching these movies, patrons can then enjoy the traditional games of Korea and Malaysia to become more familiar with each other.
"I am touched with the deep love for Korea by Malaysians and their strong will to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic," said Lee.
Meanwhile, GSC group chief executive officer Koh Mei Lee said it was great to see the public back in the cinemas, especially with film festivals making a full-force comeback to the GSC circuit since its re-opening in September.
"Just two weeks ago, we had a great time discovering Latin American and Caribbean food and culture at a similar festival here.
"There is no doubt that the impact of 'hallyu' or the 'Korean Wave' has taken the world by storm, with a massive surge in the popularity of Korean songs, food, drama, fashion, and overall culture," she said.
She added that the latest buzz was on the 'Squid Game' on television and before it the Academy award-winning 2020 film 'Minari' for which Youn Yuh-Jung won 'Best Supporting Actress'.
'Minari' is distributed locally by GSC Movies.
"With all the excitement for Korean culture, I believe this is why the Republic of Korea embassy has gone through great efforts to proudly organise this festival.
"It is a cultural celebration that will give audiences in Malaysia an opportunity to sample the diversity of the country.
"So here's a warm 'chuk-a-hae-yo' (congratulations) to the embassy for this splendid effort to cement closer bonds between our two countries.
"As our borders are starting to open, let us hope that we can all soon plan our holidays to Korea soon!" Koh said.
'Minari', which drew a million viewers in South Korea, was nominated for six Oscars and won an Academy Award out of six nominations, last April.
'Minari' follows a Korean-American family as they relocate to an Arkansas farm in search of their own American Dream.
With the arrival of their sly, foul-mouthed but incredibly loving grandmother, the family's home undergoes a complete transformation.
'Minari' demonstrates the undeniable resilience of a family and what truly makes a home amidst the instability and challenges of this new life in the rugged Ozarks. This film belongs to the Drama genre.
'Seobok' is an excellent sci-fi, action and thriller.
Ki Heon (Gong Yoo), a former intelligence agent who is terminally ill, is assigned the task of safely transporting Seo Bok (Bo-gum), the first human clone.
Because the clone possesses the key to immortality, everyone is on the lookout for him in order to obtain the key.
Ki Heon will do everything in his power to protect the clone from those with malicious intentions.
'The Hypnosis' is a horror and thriller film about Do-hyun (David Lee), a dedicated English major who enjoys his college life.
Professor Yeo (Seo Yi-sook) asks Do-hyun to assist a newly transferred student who is receiving psychological treatment, one day.
Do-hyun meets Prof Choi (Son Byung-ho) and undergoes hypnosis as a result of this.
Do-hyun begins to have visions of unknown memories after waking up from hypnosis. Meanwhile, his friends are also experiencing strange occurrences and hallucinations.