South Korea showcases culture at Calabar Carnival

THE 2016 edition of the Calabar Carnival may have come to a climax, but memories of the worthwhile event are still fresh in the minds of revelers, tourists and residents who are still basking in the euphoria of the colorful event.

One of the events which may be etched in their minds for a long time is the performance of the South Korean traditional troupe which added so much vitality, glamour and panache to the just concluded Cross River Christmas festival which encompasses the Calabar Carnival.

The development, which was part of efforts towards maintaining stronger ties between Cross River State and Korea, saw the display of various aspects of Korean culture.

As part of support for Cross River, the Korean government, through its Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Sport, also distributed about 500 free Calabar Carnival branded T-shirt to CrossRiverians and other nationals that graced the occasion.

The South Korean government expressed enthusiasm to share their culture with the people of the state through their participation.

Director of the Korean Cultural Centre in Nigeria at the Korean Embassy in Abuja, Han Sungrae, who led the Korean delegation, lauded the state government on the festival.

Sungrea told the Nigerian Tribune that they chose Calabar because of its peaceful nature and hospitality, adding that the various tourist sites that dot the nooks and crannies of the state also informed their choice of Calabar.

“The place is serene and the atmosphere is very peaceful, which was why we decided to come to Calabar, we know that they are very accommodating in every ramification and there are so many collaborations that we want to have with the state on various platforms that will bring development,” he stated.

A representative of the State Carnival Commission, Mrs Eme Affiah disclosed that South Korea is interested in Cross River and willing to partner in various ways to develop the state as they have shown interest in different sectors of the state.

Her words:  “South Korea have an interest in Cross River as one of the states in Nigeria that they have relationship with and they had come to us earlier in the year and asked for collaboration and for their event to be held in Calabar as well as for us to accommodate them in the festival and they sent people over and over and we were able to meet and agree on their activities. There is a collaboration going on between us.

“South Korea has actually reached out to Cross River State in many ways. We have had young people in the state go to South Korea for IT purposes, sponsored by the South Korea government and we see this as an opportunity for more people to be enlightened and exposed to new technologies and new ways of doing things. So we see it as a good collaboration.”