Chung Yong-hwa, a member of CNBLUE, a public relations ambassador of the Busan One-Asia Festival.

The Busan One-Asia Festival will be an extravaganza filled with wonders that Busan Metropolitan City will highlight. The event will take place at BEXCO, Asiad Main Stadium and others in the Busan area from Oct. 1 to Oct. 23. 

The festival will present a wide range of convergence genres among culture and industries ranging from performances to exhibitions and events, reflecting the latest Hallyu (Korean Wave) and Busan’s unique content. 

Organizers said the festival is expected to shift the city’s tourism paradigm to “staying tourism” attractions. They said visitors will appreciate diverse programs, including K-Pop performances by Korea’s top stars and exhibitions on Korean foods. It will also offer a peek into Korean stars’ daily lives. 

October will be classified as “Busan’s cultural festival chapter” as the festival will coincide with the Busan International Film Festival, the Asian Song Festival and the Busan Fireworks Festival. Busan is striving to foster its “killer content” with the goal of attracting not only Koreans but also foreigners. 

The opening ceremony performance is titled with grand K-Pop concert that will be consistent with the theme of the festival and present the latest K-POP stars. 

The K-POP superstars will perform solo performances in collaboration with Korean major entertainment companies.

The Collaboration Music Show will be produced and presented jointly by YG Entertainment, Tencent of China, and SBS Plus. Korean and Chinese representative artists will appear in the final stage of the live show. 

K-Pop idol superstars will perform at a closing ceremony performance, titled “One Asia Dream Concert.”  The event will feature special stages and programs. The performance will be the highlight of the 23-day festival. 

Koreans and foreign visitors will be given a chance to observe at and experience first-hand the trends of “K-Beauty” at the Beauty Korea Exhibition. Pop stars will demonstrate their beauty products, and the Beauty  Showcase will take place to introduce Busan’s “beauty.” 

The “Taste Busan” will be a food festival in which visitors can enjoy delicacies at “open kitchens” and “food tables.” Famous eateries in Busan will be introduced during the SBS-TV program “Top 3 Heavenly Kings.” The festival will coincide with the Busan Restaurant Week in which restaurants in the neighborhood of the venues will give discounts to food prices.

There will be the Hallyu Star Special Exhibition that will introduce Hallyu stars, as well as the Music Market in which audition programs will be performed to explore Korean and overseas talents. 

The festival will have side events such as Hallyu Star Fan Meetings; a platform program for participants to experience the SBS-TV Program “Running Man”; Asia Indi Band Performances; a Hallyu Conference; and China Silk Road Dancing Troupe Invitational Performances. 

Chung Yong-hwa, a member of CNBLUE, will serve as a public relations ambassador of the festival. He won the Hallyu Star Prize during the first K-Drama Star Awards ceremony in 2012.

The Busan One-Asia Festival will highlight the wonders Busan can offer. The festival will take place from Oct. 1 to 23. (Photos:Busan Metropolitan City)