S. Korean music festival comes to Pakistan

South Korean Ambassador Dr Suh Dong-gu was the chief guest at the international music and cultural dance festival, known as K-Pop, at the National University of Modern Languages (Numl). This was the first time the festival was organised in Pakistan.

Pakistan will submit a video recorded contribution to Korea, chosen by a jury comprising Korean and Pakistani members.

Numl Rector Brigadier Aminullah Khan and a large number of students, teachers and guests enjoyed the event. Brigadier Khan underlined the importance of knowledge of foreign languages and cultures.

In his speech, Ambassador Suh said the K-Pop had become popular music genre among Koreans since the 1990s, and that it had also spread to Japan and elsewhere. The K-Pop World Festival has been held in Seoul since 2011.

Dr Suh said he was very glad that Pakistan was now taking part in the competition which was for fun as well as for the sake of cultural exchange and understanding.

Meanwhile, at the 5th South Korean culture and language quiz held at Numl, Syeda Farheen Mateen from Lahore was declared the winner. She will travel to South Korea next month to represent Pakistan in the grand final.

China flying high

At an event focusing on the China Southern Airlines held at Marriott Hotel, Chinese Ambassador Sun Weidong spoke about high technology and science. These are the important components of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) along with finance.” Infrastructure, including roads, air communication, and energy are important sectors, he added.

China Southern Airlines operates from Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi to several Chinese cities. It is one of China’s ‘big three’ and the largest airline in Asia. It is also one of two Chinese airlines flying to Pakistan.

Ambassador Sun Weidong summarised the key aspects of China’s current economic development indicators. The most recent figures show a high growth rate of 6.7pc, and China continues to have a dominant role in South Asia’s trade and development.

Pakistan and China are celebrating the 65th anniversary of their diplomatic relations this year.

Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal also attended the event.

Published in Dawn, July 31st, 2016