Korean Day Festival 2014 @ Cathedral Square The Korean Society in Christchurch is hosting Korean Day 2014 at Cathedral Square from 11am to 4pm, 29th November 2014. Korean Day 2014 is the biggest festival for the Korean community in the South Island and an important cultural event on the Christchurch calendar. Korean Day 2013 was the first public event held at Cathedral Square after the February earthquake in 2011. It was a challenge for both Korean Society and Christchurch city council to create a festive mood within the CBD, cheering up the mind and heart of Christchurch local residents. “We placed a stage right in front of the cathedral that was obviously seriously damaged and we weren’t sure if that would scare people”, recalls Judy Yun, the president of Korean Society. A number of challenges such as public safety issues, limited access to power or water had to be all taken care of. “Despite all the concerns we had, our festival was a great success. We had more than 8,000 visitors and we proved Cathedral Square can be a vibrant and dynamic cultural centre again”, says Judy Yun. There is no hint of uncertainty that once surrounded the iconic place of the city. A series of cultural events of various sizes followed thereafter with IceFest being one of the bigger events at the venue. The opening ceremony is often arranged to convey the main message of the event and Alex Chey, the cultural director of Korean Society, says “We aim to build strong ties with local communities through the collaborative work by Korean and Maori performers. It will be a unique showcase of artistic value shared by both Korean and New Zealand traditional culture”. In addition to the series of stage performances composed of traditional Korean dance and music and pieces by guest performers, there will be a large number of food and info stalls as well as diverse floor activities for children. This event is sponsored by Christchurch City Council, Canterbury Community Trust. Lottery Grants Board and United Way as well as Korean Embassy.

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