GANGWON-DO < invest Korea

(SEOUL=Yonhap News) The Seoul metropolitan government said Thursday it will hold a K-pop concert, along with the local governments of Gyeonggi and Gangwon, in the town of PyeongChang, east of Seoul, this week to wish the first Winter Games in the town a success and draw tourists to the global sports event, organizers said Thursday.

The "K-Drama Festa in PyeongChang" event, scheduled to open at 5:00 p.m. Saturday at Yongpyeong Dome, comes around one year ahead of the 2018 Winter Olympics, which will start Feb. 9, 2018, in the Alpine town of PyeongChang, and the neighboring towns of Gangneung and Jeongseon.

Lee Teuk, a member of boy group Super Junior, and Chung Ha, a member of girl group I.O.I, will serve as emcees for the event, which 5,000 visitors, including 3,000 foreign tourists, are expected to take part in to enjoy performances of such hit K-pop groups as EXO, B2B and Astro.

During the event, other singers -- Gummy, Lyn and Kim Beom-soo, who are famous for the original soundtrack albums of the South Korean hit television series "Descendants of the Sun" -- will give their performances.

Video screening of South Korea's hit TV dramas, including "Guardian: The Lonely and Great God" and a fashion show, are planned ahead of the K-pop stars' performances. The fashion show features actress Lee Young-ae, the main character of SBS TV's high-budget series "Saimdang, Memoir of Colors."

Organizers said they will have the performances aired in 188 countries worldwide as part of efforts to publicize the Olympics.

The three regional governments have agreed to foot the 5 billion-won (US$4.38 million) bill to carry out joint marketing aimed at promoting the Olympics and wooing overseas tourists to South Korea. Seoul will invest 3 billion won, and Gyeonggi and Gangwon 1 billion won each to run overseas TV ads and familiarization tour programs, among others.


This image shows a poster for the "K-Drama Festa in PyeongChang" event to be held in PyeongChang, east of Seoul, on Feb. 18, 2017, to wish the first Winter Games in the town a success and draw tourists to the global sports event. (Yonhap)

namsh@yna.co.kr

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Source: Yonhap News (Feb. 16, 2017)