Ahead of the ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit, a celebratory concert will be held in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province.

As culture is a valuable asset that helps nations build bridges, various cultural events are set to take place before the summit such as a fashion show, a K-beauty festival and food demonstrations. 


One of these events is the music festival “ASEAN Fantasia,” which will be held Nov. 24 in Changwon. The aim of the concert is to promote harmony between South Korea and the ASEAN countries.

The upcoming concert will feature diverse genres of music and will showcase Korean artists who have gained recognition both at home and in ASEAN member states. Musicians from ASEAN countries are part of the lineup as well, including well-known Thai singer Phum Viphurit.

Phum Viphurit visited Seoul earlier this year for his second stand-alone recital. The Thailand-born singer-songwriter grew up in New Zealand and debuted in 2017 with the album “Manchild.” Best known for tracks “Long Gone” and “Lover Boy,” the singer has gained recognition across Asia and recently gained a presence on the US music scene too.

The festival may also feature K-pop legends BoA and Psy, although their participation has not been officially confirmed.

Since her debut almost 20 years ago, BoA has been one of the most influential music figures across Korea and Southeast Asia, having paved the way for Hallyu, the Korean wave. The talented performer is known for her impressive dance movements.

Psy, a Korean singer, rapper and producer, rose to global stardom with his 2012 hit “Gangnam Style,” which had recorded 3.4 billion hits on YouTube as of October.

Artists from Korea and the ASEAN member states will deliver a special collaborative performance at the concert.

According to the Culture Ministry’s press release, officials from the 10 ASEAN countries and local government authorities are to attend the festival, along with multicultural families and officials from related institutions.

The 2019 ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit is slated to take place Nov. 25-26 in Busan. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of a special dialogue partnership between Korea and ASEAN.

Meanwhile, the city of Changwon has hosted the Changwon K-Pop World Festival every October since 2011 in an effort to promote Korean culture to the world. Overseas contenders have been invited to take part in singing and dance competitions.

By Im Eun-byel (silverstar@heraldcorp.com)