On its 14th anniversary, All India K-POP Contest 2024 set to be a mega event 

NEW DELHI: The annual All India K-POP Contest 2024 which is organised by the Korean Cultural Centre India (KCCI) is back with a bang, and is going to be the biggest ever so far in its 14-year history. Beginning 17^th May, this mega contest is going to be culminated at India’s biggest India International Convention & Expo Centre – YASHOBHOOMI on 23^rd of November this year as KCCI has joined hands with the Korea Industrial Exhibition (KoINDEX). Korea’s KINTEX has a 20-year operation license to run the convention centre after it won a bid in 2018.

The KCCI has also collaborated with Korea’s white goods giant LG Electronics India for this 14th anniversary All India K- POP Contest which has over the years become one of the representative projects of the Korean Cultural Centre India. Last year, 11,071 teams the highest ever had participated in the showpiece event, which has over the years established itself as a platform that brings together K-pop enthusiasts from all over India. The year 2024 seems all set to break all previous records.

A press release issued by the KCCI, a cultural arm of the embassy of the Republic of Korea in India, said, following the success of the event last year, LG Electronics India has decided to be the sole sponsor of the ‘All India K-POP Contest 2024′ and signed a business agreement with the Korean Cultural Centre India on April 29th. According to the agreement, LG Electronics India will make every effort to promote Korea and Korean culture together with the Korean Cultural Centre, including creating and operating a website dedicated to the contest and operating an experience centre promoting LG Electronics products in 11 regional preliminary and final competitions.

This contest is open to individuals or groups from among Indian citizens who love K-POP and can take part in it for the entire duration of the event. The initial preliminary round will be held online on the contest website from May 17th to June 21st, 2024. Applicants’ videos will be judged based on skill, expression and pronunciation, similarity to the original song, and stage presence.

Teams selected in the online preliminaries will participate in regional preliminaries held in 11 regions of India from July 27th to September 1st, and the winning team will receive a ticket to the semifinals to be held in Mumbai on October 19th, 2024.

The final round of ‘All India K-POP Contest 2024 will be held in conjunction with the Korea Industrial Exhibition (KoINDEX) at Yashobhoomi’ in New Delhi on November 23rd. As a renowned exhibition hall, it is India’s largest international exhibition and convention centre. Korea’s KINTEX has a 20-year operation license to run the convention centre after it won a bid in 2018.

The finalists of the ‘All India K-POP Contest 2024 will be in the spotlight on a stage equipped with a top-of-the-line stage system. They will also get an opportunity to visit Korea. Mr Hwang II Yong, Director of Korean Cultural Centre India, said, “In a survey held regarding the preference for Korean cultural content abroad, India ranked as one of the highest nations around the world. This K-POP contest is the only large-scale ‘Korean Wave’ event held in all of India.

“This year, in addition to the main event, we plan to hold various participatory events that everyone can enjoy, such as ‘K-POP On Street’. I hope it will become a festival venue where Indians who love the ‘Korean Wave’ can come out and enjoy,” Mr Hwang added.

Jeon Hong Ju, MD LG Electronics said, “The K-POP contest is truly a ‘Life’s Good’ moment for youth who find purpose in K-POP music & dance. The response for the contest last year was overwhelming and we are expecting a remarkable response this year as well. We are proud to collaborate with Korean Cultural Centre India to launch ‘All India K-POP Contest 2024’. There will be a series of events planned to create awareness for K-POP aimed to encourage young audiences to join this contest.”