SEONGNAM — The city of Seongnam took part in the first Korea Day Festival held in Wroclaw, Poland, promoting traditional Korean culture and expanding exchanges between the two cities.
Seongnam said on the 12th that it attended the opening ceremony of the 2026 Korea Day Festival on the 10th at the Centennial Hall convention center in Wroclaw. It was the first Korea Day event ever held in Poland.
Seongnam was the only local government from South Korea to join the festival. The Seongnam City Korean Traditional Music Orchestra introduced local audiences to Korean traditional music through a special performance.
"Korea and Poland marked the 37th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year and established a comprehensive strategic partnership," Seongnam Mayor Shin Sang-jin said at the opening ceremony. "I hope this event brings the people of both countries closer together."
"I also expect Seongnam and Wroclaw to continue active exchanges in culture, the arts and other fields on the basis of our sister-city ties," he said.
The orchestra performed seven pieces, including the folk ensemble work "Sinawi," the percussion solo "Seoljanggu" and "Orbit of Delusion," a concerto for small ajaeng. The program showed both the melodic and the dynamic sides of Korean traditional music and drew a warm response from the audience.
The festival, organized by the Korean Association in Poland, also drew strong interest from local residents. The 1,000-seat hall was filled, and long lines of people waiting to enter formed outside the venue.
A K-food festival held at the same site attracted about 5,000 visitors. The venue was crowded with residents who came to sample Korean food and cultural content.
A day earlier, Shin signed a sister-city agreement with Wroclaw Mayor Jacek Sutryk. He then attended a press briefing hosted by the South Korean Embassy in Poland ahead of the Korea Day event.
At the briefing, Shin discussed the significance of expanded cooperation between the two countries with South Korean Ambassador to Poland Tae Jun-yeol and other officials. He also said the city would use the sister-city agreement with Wroclaw to broaden practical cooperation in advanced industries, the economy, culture and the arts.
The visit drew attention as Seongnam's first sister-city agreement with a European city. The city also laid the groundwork for industrial cooperation through a memorandum of understanding between the Seongnam Industry Promotion Agency and Poland's defense industry association.
Seongnam plans to use the trip to widen exchanges beyond economic and industrial cooperation into culture, the arts and sports.
"What stood out was the strong interest Polish citizens showed in Korean culture," Shin said. "It was meaningful to be able to share the beauty of Korean traditional culture through the Seongnam City Korean Traditional Music Orchestra's performance."
"Culture and the arts are a bridge through which cities and their citizens build friendship," he said. "We will expand practical exchanges with Wroclaw across a range of fields."