A Korean Culture Center will open in Brazil’s largest city Sao Paulo on Wednesday local time, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Tuesday.

Located at Higienopolis, near a commercial district, the two-story center will house a caf, library, kitchen for training, educational center and taekwondo hall, as well as exhibition and multi-function rooms to be used for the promotion of Korean culture. At the opening ceremony, an orchestra composed of Korean and Brazilian musicians will perform “Miryang Arirang,” while a cover dance team will perform K-pop star Psy’s signature “Gangnam Style” dance, followed by a tasting of Korean food.

“Brazil is a country of unique music, literature and architecture. Sao Paulo has been the center of culture, where globally acclaimed Sao Paulo International Film Festival and Biennale draw international attention. It is also the city where hallyu, or the Korean pop culture boom, is rapidly spreading. We will bridge people from the two cultures to exchange ideas and make friends,” said Seo Sang-myeon, the director of the center.

Sao Paulo’s center is the 26th Korea Culture Center, the first ones having opened in Tokyo and New York in 1979.

The government is planning to open a Korean Culture Center in Belgium by the end of the year.

By Bae Ji-sook (baejisook@heraldcorp.com)