New Delhi, Oct 19 (Reporter) The two-day third edition of Rang De Korea, India's largest Korean cultural festival, began at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Auditorium here on Friday. The festival is organised by the Korean Cultural Centre India. This year's event was a megaton-scale festival that included performers representing Korean culture and featured a variety of content genres, including K-beauty, K-food, K-fashion, K-snack, K-craft, and K-play. The gala event was inaugurated by Chang Jae-bok, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to India, in the gracious presence of Jaideep Mazumdar, Secretary East, Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. Chang Jae-bok said, “It is truly heartfelt to see the 'Rang De Korea' event growing each year with more Indian fans joining to celebrate Korea and its vibrant culture. The friendship between Korea and India is built on mutual respect, shared stories, and deep cultural ties. We honour the enduring legacy of the matrimonial alliance between the Indian princess from Ayodhya and the Korean King Kim Suro, as well as the spiritual bonds fostered through Buddhism. Over the centuries, these exchanges have flourished, and today our partnership remains vibrant across various sectors like economy, education, technology, and global governance,” he said. This year, the 14th All India K-Pop Contest semi-finals, which LG Electronics India exclusively supported, took place in tandem with the Rang De Korea event. K-pop's performance groups were among those offering the greatest stages. NTX, Ha Minwoo, Uuheeska by Fusion Concert, a contemporary adaptation of a traditional Korean comic drama, Balkwang, who used the ancient Korean martial art of Taekkyeon to create an action comedy; and Pax Arari used traditional Korean instruments and piano to form an ensemble. NTX, a rising rookie star who debuted in March 2021, has been aggressively extending its repertoire with tours abroad completed earlier this year in Brazil, the US, and Japan. They were making their first trip to India, and their performance captivated the crowd. A "Fan Meet and Greet" event was held before NTX's concert, giving Indian fans of the K-Pop group another chance to engage with them. The performance ensemble Balkwang is based on the traditional Korean martial art of Taekkyeon, which is recognised as the world's earliest martial art and is included as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. 'Let's Go To See The Fight' is a traditional action comedy from Korea that follows a plot of sparring with traditional Korean elements including cheering, rhythm, Taekkyeon, and Burna (a traditional spinning top). A performing ensemble called Pax Arari uses piano and traditional Korean instruments together. A traditional song from Jeongseon, Korea, is called Arari. Hwang Il Yong, director of the Korean Cultural Centre India, said, “Korean culture and the Korean Wave in India have now grown into mainstream culture throughout India and especially in large cities such as Delhi and Mumbai.’’ “This event has been prepared to demonstrate the excellence of original Korean culture and Korean Cultural Wave content. I hope many Indian fans come and have fun while learning proper and authentic Korean culture, and then I look forward to continuing to recreate and reproduce Korean cultural content through these Indian fans,” he added...////...