To show our appreciation, the Korean Cultural Centre India (KCCI) has installed a billboard with a message of gratitude: "Thank you for your service. 60 Parafield Ambulance, We remember you. We will remember you."

Highlights from the K-pop Random Play Dance event: A celebration of passion, energy, and talent. Thank you to all the participants who made the event memorable with their outstanding performances.

The preliminary round of the Korean Speech Contest 2025 took place at KCCI on 23 May, with enthusiastic support from the audience. Korean language teachers took on the role of judges, offering expert evaluation and encouragement to all participants. Participants delivered speeches on one of two topics: “My favourite Korean expression and why” or “My most memorable Sejong Institute class.” Rashmi Sharma captivated the judges with her fluent Korean and secured first place in the preliminary round. Vedansh Varshney followed closely and was named the runner-up of the contest. A total of 10 contestants were shortlisted to compete in this round of the contest.

The programme, KCCI's 'SAC on Screen,' kicked off at 2 pm on 9 May with a special screening of The Chunhyang, a creative opera based on the classic Korean story Chunhyangjeon. This programme was planned to demonstrate the deep-rooted sensibility and aesthetics of Korean performing arts, which have profoundly influenced global phenomena like K-POP and K-dramas. Nearly 80 people attended the screening.   After watching the screening, some of the audience shared their thoughts and opinions. One of them, Madhu, said, 'I was watching it for the first time. It was really good. I was really surprised by the artists' work and acting. I was glad to be a part of this screening.'   Another attendee, Priyanka Bisht, shared her thoughts and feelings after watching the opera, 'The screening was so amazing. We could feel all the emotions portrayed. It was a deeply moving experience.'  Most of the participants were in their 20s to 30s, and the young generation showed great enthusiasm and a positive response to the screening. 'SAC on Screen' will be shown twice a month at the Korean Cultural Centre India, and all seats are free but must be booked in advance. Following the screening of Chunhyang's Escape, a hanbok experience and photo session was held, offering attendees the chance to try on traditional attire from the late Joseon period, Korea’s pre-modern era.

All India KPOP Contest 2025 Guidelines 1. Category K-Pop Dance / Vocal / Rap 2. Schedule • Round 1: Online Round in May Application link open till 7 June, 2025 https://forms.gle/nP7aXKQ4iSjM1JJA9 • Round 2: Regional Round in June ○Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Itanagar, Kohima ○The dates and venues of each region will be decided by the regional organizers • Round 3: Grand Finale on 19 July , 2025 at Delhi 3. Prize ○Winner of 3 categories: 200,000 rupees each ○1st Runner-up of 3 categories: 100,000 rupees each ○2nd Runner-up of 3 categories: 50,000 rupees each *Final winner of all categories will be recommended to the K-Pop World Festival in Korea (Changwon city) as the Indian representative. 4. Applications Record a cover video in one of the following categories: Dance, Vocal, or Rap. ○Fill in the form through the link:              https://forms.gle/nP7aXKQ4iSjM1JJA9 ○Entries will be accepted until 7 June , 2025 5. Eligibility ○Only Indian nationals are allowed to participate ○The Solo/group winners (final winner, 1st runner-up, 2nd runner-up) of the K-Pop contest hosted by Korean Cultural Centre India in 2024 are not allowed to participate ○Winners from years other than 2024 can participate in any category (Vocal, Dance, Rap) as individuals or group members 6. Rules & Regulations for Applications *General ○Participants can apply for only one category (Dance, Vocal, or Rap) ○Participation is possible as an individual or as a team ○Applications may be disqualified for the following reasons: ○ Inappropriate content (obscene or provocative) ○ Incorrect application information or repeated failure to respond to official communication from KCCI or regional organizers ○ Failure to comply with announced regulations ○Participants consent to allow submitted videos to be edited and used for promotional content by Korean Cultural Centre ○Video format requirements: ○ Length: 2–4 minutes (1 K-pop song) ○ File Format: MP4 or MOV ○ Must be high quality with applicant's face clearly visible ○ No edited videos; must be shot in one take ○Categories that do not meet a minimum number of applications may be canceled. The minimum number will be determined by KCCI internally. *Category-Specific Rules (Vocal) ○Songs with 100% foreign language lyrics (e.g., English) are not allowed ○Only original songs in Korean are allowed; no freestyle format ○Live singing only; no studio recordings or microphones allowed ○Vocals must be clearly audible with good sound quality ○Playing instruments does not provide extra points (Dance) ○Main judging criteria: similarity to original choreography ○Additional points for teams matching the number of members of the original K-pop group (Rap) ○Freestyle and mixed song formats allowed, but must contain only Korean lyrics ○Live rapping only; no studio recordings or microphones allowed ○Rap must be clearly audible with good sound quality 7. Evaluation Criteria (Vocal) ○Skills (Flow, Rhythm, Breath Control, Delivery): 40% ○Expression & Pronunciation (Clarity, Dictation, Emotion): 40% ○Charisma (Confidence, Engagement): 20% (Dance) ○Choreography (Composition, similarity to original): 40% ○Dance Skills (Technique, Flexibility): 40% ○Charisma (Confidence, Engagement): 20% (Rap) ○Skills (Flow, Rhythm, Breath Control, Delivery): 20% ○Expression & Pronunciation (Clarity, Dictation, Emotion): 20% ○Charisma (Confidence, Engagement): 20% ○Creativity: 20% 8. Regional Round ○Winners from the online round must participate in the regional round in the region they reside in or the nearest one among the following: Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Itanagar, Kohima ○Each region's round may be conducted online or offline based on the situation. This decision will be made by KCCI and the local organizers. ○Specific dates, venues, and additional rules will be announced later. Final Round ○KCCI will form the final judge panel to select participants from the regional winners ○Final round will be held in Delhi on 19  July, 2025 *Selected finalists will receive travel support to Delhi 9. Inquiries: Email: performance@koreanculture.in