Korean Cultural Center in Kazakhstan holds ‘Korean Culture Festival’ to commemorate 90th anniversary of Koryoin settlement

The Korean Cultural Center in Kazakhstan (Director Lee Jeong-ho) announced on the 4th that it held a 'Korean Culture Festival' with the Karaganda Koryoin Association on the 3rd (local time) to commemorate the 90th anniversary of Koryoin settlement in 2027 next year.

This event, held at the Saken Sayfullina Kazakh Academy Drama Theater in Karaganda, Kazakhstan, was attended by Korean Ambassador to Kazakhstan Jeong Ki-hong, President of the Kazakh Association of Koreans Chae Yu-ri, and about 600 local citizens.

In particular, the play 'Legacy' produced by Kazakhstan's National Koryo Theater to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the settlement of Koryo people was performed on stage.

This work is based on the play 'Memory' by Lavrenty Son and Stanislav Lee, and depicts the hardships and losses of the Koryo people who were forcibly immigrated to Central Asia in 1937, and the process of building a new home.

This performance is also the first performance of 'Legacy', which is scheduled to tour throughout Kazakhstan to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the settlement of Koryo people.

The audience responded enthusiastically, sympathizing with the scenes of Koryo people who had been forced to leave their homeland and migrated, continuing their lives despite hardships, and starting a new life in Kazakhstan.

One Korean audience member said, “It was even more heartbreaking to see the story I heard from my grandmother and parents in a play,” and added, “It seems to be an expression of gratitude to Kazakhstan for accepting Koryo people at the same time as showing the lives of Koryo people.”