NC KoreaFest 2018 draws thousands during Winter Olympics

Throughout the day, K-pop performers moved in sync for an audience of thousands. The genre of music, style of dance and audiovisuals originated in South Korea.

Chapter President of the Korean Wave Federation Heoak Lee sees the event in tandem with the Olympics as an educational moment.

“(Before) the only people that knew anything about Korea was if you had a family member in the Korean War or that famous TV series “MASH,” which didn’t quite portray Korea as it was,” she said.

She said times have changed and people from various backgrounds are intrigued.

To experience the culture, they don’t have to catch a flight to Pyeongchang.

“It’s actually amazing,” volunteer Jiyoung Shin said. “I was right next to the state selling food and everybody is singing Korean music and dancing to it. It makes me feel really great about being in Raleigh, and there’s a lot of people celebrating my culture.”

The event featured authentic food, garments and souvenirs.

But organizers said they hope attendees walk away with much more — an appreciation for Korean culture and heritage.