The first ever Vietnam-Republic of Korea (RoK) cultural exchange festival in the Jeonnam-Gwangju region, about 500 km from Seoul, has taken place in Jeollanam-do province to connect Vietnamese people in the country as well as between them and local people.
Nearly 600 Vietnamese students, workers and brides, Korean grooms and their family members participated in a string of activities featuring Vietnam-RoK cultures, including the re-performance of a traditional Vietnamese marriage, dance performances, a show of Vietnam's traditional dress and folk games.
They also had chances to taste Vietnamese food and learn how to cook Vietnamese dishes.
Addressing the opening ceremony, Nguyen Viet Phong, member of the Vietnamese people association in the RoK, thanked the local authorities and enterprises for their support, which he said is a great encouragement for the Vietnamese people here.
This is also a chance for them to meet and support each other in their lives, he added.
According to the Vice Secretary of the Party Committee of the Vietnamese Embassy in the RoK Nguyen Thai Hoa, the festival is part of the activities in response to the Vietnam-RoK Exchange Festival 2013.
Hoa highlighted the significance of the event, especially in the context that the two countries have seen fruitful relations in all fields, vividly manifested by a recent visit by Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung.
Vietnam and RoK share similarities in history and culture as well as have the same goal of building a prosperous country with happy people in an environment of peace, friendship and cooperation for mutual development, the Vietnamese representative noted.
Also at the event, the Vietnamese community in the Jeonnam-Gwangju region donated 597,000 won (532 USD) for Agent Orange/dioxin victims in their home country.