WONJU, South Korea — A delegation from Thailand visiting South Korea took part in a “K-Festival” in Wonju, Gangwon Province, trying their hand at traditional Korean games and spending time in fellowship with believers from around the world.
The event was hosted by Manmin Central Church, led by Senior Pastor Dr. Soojin Lee, on the morning of August 4 at the convention hall of the Oak Valley Resort. It formed part of a three-day summer retreat running from August 3 to 5, drawing believers — the Thai delegation among them — from 23 countries in total.
The event opened with a performance by the Honduras team, followed by the Latvia deaf team and the Malaysia team, who took the stage one after another to further energize the atmosphere. In particular, the final performance—by the Thailand team, made up of members of Chiang Rai Manmin Church—brought the event to a rousing close, receiving an enthusiastic response from attendees.
Naraphon, a Thai participant who took part in the performance, said, “The audience responded so warmly to our Christian performance set to traditional music, and that made us very happy as well. It was also a wonderful opportunity to experience Korean culture firsthand, and a great time to introduce Thai culture.”
The competitions themselves drew on traditional Korean folk games, with participants split into a white team and a blue team. The first two rounds featured tuho, a game in which players toss arrows into a narrow-necked vase, and jegichagi, a shuttlecock-kicking game.
The third and fourth rounds moved on to ddakjichi, a tile-flipping game, and a hands-on session making dalgona, the sugar candy long associated with Korean street markets. The day’s games wrapped with an O-X quiz, a true-or-false-style guessing round.
The Thai delegation was placed on the white team alongside believers from Kenya, the deaf community, Japan and Malaysia. The blue team, meanwhile, brought together participants from Russia, Kazakhstan, Israel, Moldova, Mongolia, Latin America and Australia — with both sides reflecting just how international the gathering had become.
Through this K-Festival, the Thai delegation was able to experience traditional Korean culture firsthand and introduce Thai performance culture as well, spending time in fellowship that transcended national boundaries with believers gathered from around the world.
About the K-Festival
The K-Festival atmosphere in Wonju, Gangwon Province, is best captured through events like the Wonju Dynamic Dancing Carnival and related cultural celebrations that highlight Korean popular culture and performance.**
Held annually in September across venues such as Ttattu Theater, Youth Square, and Wonil-ro, the Dynamic Dancing Carnival features energetic street and stage performances spanning creative choreography, K-pop dance, hip-hop, martial arts, and marching bands. It draws crowds with its long parade format and lively blend of contemporary Korean entertainment and local energy.
Wonju also hosts complementary events that amplify the Korean cultural experience, including the long-running Hanji Festival (celebrating traditional Korean paper-making with exhibitions, hands-on crafts, and fashion shows) and the popular Mandu Festival in the downtown markets, where visitors sample the city’s distinctive dumplings rooted in local history.
Together, these gatherings turn Wonju into a vibrant hub for experiencing both traditional and modern sides of Korean culture amid the scenic backdrop of Gangwon Province.
By Jungkil Park – Voluntary Contributor
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