Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Republic of Austria and Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the International Organizations in Vienna

〈Golden〉 Sparks the Moment:  The K-Map unfolds as K-Culture blooms in the Heart of Vienna

– Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Austria hosts  K-Map Distribution Event with K-Pop Busking –

 On Friday, January 30, the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Austria held an event to introduce “K-Map: Experience Korea in Vienna” (hereinafter “K-Map”), a guide map featuring Korean shops, restaurants, and institutions in Vienna, to local residents.

 The event took place on a Friday evening, a peak shopping time, at Gerngross, one of the largest shopping malls located on Vienna’s main shopping street, Mariahilfer Strasse. Designed as a pop-up event, it combined K-Pop busking performances with a Korean snack experience, drawing the attention of shoppers and passersby.

(Photo credit : left Hyunwoo Joo, right Korean Cultural Center)

 When a K-Pop busking team active in Austria—Yoon Sang Cho, Hui Yang, and Bae Dero—along with Park Kyungseo, a violin major at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, performed well-known K-Pop songs such as 〈Golden〉 from K-Pop Demon Hunters and BTS’s 〈Dynamite〉, numerous Viennese citizens visiting the shopping mall naturally gathered around the performance area. Targeting this audience, the Embassy and the Korean community jointly distributed K-Map brochures and yakgwa, a traditional Korean sweet, while introducing Korean businesses and institutions in Vienna. Through the combination of music and snacks, participants were able to engage with Korean culture in a friendly and approachable atmosphere.

(Photo credit : Hyunwoo Joo)

 The event was also attended by Ambassador Ham Sang Wook of the Republic of Korea to Austria, who greeted Viennese citizens while wearing a modernized hanbok popularized globally through K-Pop Demon Hunters and took part in the K-Map distribution. Ambassador Ham remarked, “K-Map is a guide map produced together with the Korean community to help citizens more easily discover places in Vienna where they can experience Korean culture firsthand,” adding, “Events like today’s, where K-Pop, Korean snacks, and hanbok come together, provide a meaningful opportunity for Korean culture to naturally become part of everyday life for the people of Vienna.”

(Photo credit : Hyunwoo Joo)

 Lee Duk Ho, President of the Federation of Korean Associations in Austria, who also participated in the event, commented, “Through K-Map, we expect more Austrian citizens and tourists to visit Korean businesses, which will help revitalize Korean-owned enterprises and strengthen solidarity within the Korean community.”

 The Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Austria plans to continue utilizing K-Map to promote public diplomacy through public–private cooperation, working closely with the Korean community while combining various cultural elements such as K-Pop, K-Food, and KFashion.