Delhi-based girl, dance troupe emerge victorious: Semi finale All-India K-Pop Contest 2023

NEW DELHI: The winners of the semi finale of ‘All-India K-Pop Contest 2023’ in vocal and dance categories emerged from New Delhi. In vocal category the Delhi girl Prachi Sharma and in dance category OUTKASTS dance troupe swept the show. The runner-ups were from Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Itanagar.

To commemoration of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Korea and India, a grand semi finale of ‘All-India K-Pop Contest 2023’ was held by Korean Cultural Centre India in association with LG in the capital at O.P. Jindal Auditorium. Chang Jae-bok, the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to India along with Gary Kim, Director of Home Entertainment, LG Electronics India Pvt. Ltd were present during the occasion.

The participants were the winners of each regional qualifier from 11 cities across India which were held in May and June this year. About 200 teams selected in the first online qualifier out of about 10,000 applicants, participated in the regional qualifier, and 4,000 spectators from all over India gathered to watch the regional rounds of K-Pop contest. A total of 22 teams and 67 participants qualified for the semi-finals through the regional rounds. The 500-seat concert hall was filled with Indian fans who love K-pop and Hallyu, Korean Cultural Wave.

The ceremony opened by a congratulatory performance by three members of Mbitious (Kim Pyeong-ya, Roh Tae-hyun, and Lee Ho-won), who were also the judges for the semi-finals. The judging criteria for the semi-final competition was based on five criteria in the category of vocals: pitch, tempo, expression, pronunciation, and stage control, and for the dance category, four evaluation factors were accuracy, choreography, technique, and stage control.

This time winners for both category were from Delhi, in vocal category Prachi Sharma and in dance category OUTKASTS. Runner ups were as following; In Vocal 1st   Abhipriya Chakraborty, 2nd – Sai Madhav Rella (Hyderabad), 3rd – Sruthi Ramnarayan (Chennai) and 4th Jaisri Shruti (Bengaluru), In dance  1st-  ELITE (Chennai),  2nd  SEREIN (Bengaluru), 3rd Axiom ( Mumbai) and 4th With Nine (Itanagar).

Chang Jae-bok, the Ambassador congratulated all the Semi-final participants He said, this is your moment to shine and fulfill your dreams as you sing and dance in front of the K-POP stars you admire. It’s an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity etched in your hearts. Let’s cherish this moment, celebrating the beautiful union of Indian and Korean cultures through the enchanting medium of K-POP. Together, we bridge hearts and minds across borders, languages, and traditions. He also expressed appreciation to LG Electronics for their unwavering support in making this event possible.

Hwang Il Yong, director of Korean Cultural Centre India said, “K-pop is at the center of the growing popularity of the Korean Wave in India. We would like to thank the fans for their endless love for K-Pop, Korea, and K-Pop Contest for the past 12 years as our Korean Cultural Centre has held the “All-India K-Pop Contest” every year.

Gary Kim, Director of Home Entertainment, LG India said, “We are delighted to see overwhelming response for K-POP. At LG Electronics we believe in connecting with people through innovative marketing campaigns and K-POP sponsorship is certainly enhancing our connect with youth.”

After the semi-final competition, the K-Pop Academy will be held at the KCCI Delhi for a total of 10 winner teams of the semi-final from July 23 to 27. Through the five-day class, the participants’ skills are expected to be improved further, and they would show a better stage in the long-awaited final of the All-India K-Pop Contest 2023 scheduled for this September.

As special lecturers at the K-Pop Academy hosted by Korean Cultural Centre India, singer ‘Hyeon-soo’, who appeared in ‘Voice Korea 2’, one of the famous Entertainment TV program in Korea, and ‘Yamakasi’, a former BTS dancer, will come to India to teach K-pop intensively for 5 days.