On March 28, a Korean fan dance troupe featuring Kurdish students captivated the audience with a mesmerizing performance that blended improvised traditional Korean music and customs with Kurdish popular dance and traditional attire.
This unique cultural exchange was part of the Siheung Campus Cultural and Arts Exhibition & Performance Program. The Korea & Iraqi Kurdistan International Exchange Performance took place in the lobby of the Convention Center in Siheung City, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea.
This first special cultural exchange program, which was held from March 25 to April 2 between the Iraqi Kurdistan Education Center and students from Seoul National University’s College of Music, featured performances including the Korean traditional fan dance known as Buchaechum, a traditional instrument ensemble, Korean music, a Kurdish traditional dance, poetry reading and a DAF ensemble of the Middle Eastern frame drum, similar to a tambourine, used in popular and classical music throughout regions like Iran, Azerbaijan, Turkey, and parts of the Indian subcontinent.
Here are some photos of the event:
It was said that, unlike conventional performances, this modernized stage aims to transform the educational space of the campus into a unique cultural and artistic venue, creating a new experience for the audience.
The Kurdish people are an Iranian ethnic group native to the mountainous region of Kurdistan, which spans parts of southeastern Turkey, northwestern Iran, northern Iraq, and northern Syria, and are estimated to number between 30 and 45 million.
The friendly relationship between the Korean and Kurdish people dates back to the Iraq War in the 2000s when South Korea deployed the Zaytun Division, a Republic of Korea Army contingent, to Iraq. From September 2004 to December 2008, 3,600 Korean troops—primarily engineers and medics—were stationed in the region, focusing on peacekeeping and humanitarian efforts.
Building on this historical connection, the Seoul National University established the Iraqi Kurdistan Education Center in Korea to foster cultural and educational ties. Additionally, since November 2024, the Salahaddin University-Erbil in Iraq has been offering Korean language courses in the Kurdistan Region through its Language and Translation Center, a collaboration with the Korean Council for International Education.
All photos were taken by Bereket Aleamyehu.
