The Korean Night Festival (KNF) 2014, was held at the Singapore Conference Hall on 7^th June 2014. Presented by Daehan Education Center, the festival was sparked off by the increasing interest in the Korean wave and it provided an opportunity for locals from all walks of life to showcase their love for the Korean Wave. The festival aimed to celebrate the evolution of the beloved Korean wave and to understand how it has shaped the social and cultural trends in Singapore since the late 1990s. Festival-goers were brought back to where Hallyu Wave first emerged in the country and how it has emerged over the years, and fans of Hallyu got to revisit popular hit dances, dramas, songs and shows – bringing back some fond memories of the Hallyu wave from when it first started.

Before the event, festival-goers were treated to a K-Carnival where they got to learn more about the Korean culture and experience it at one go. There were many booths around the exhibit including: a Hanbok (Korean traditional costume) trying out zone, traditional games area and they even incorporated some games that can be seen on popular Korean television series, Running Man! It was a well-done exhibit which got to showcase some modern and traditional aspects of the Korean Culture.

Some festival-goers posing with the pretty Hanboks!

Ready, Aim, Shoot!

Ddajik, a traditional Korean game popularized by Running Man

After visiting the Kcarnival, we moved on to the highlight of the night, KNF itself. The KNF line up for the night was filled with energetic performances and a witty host and they kept the audience’s energy level high throughout. There were some jaw-dropping Taekwondo acts by the kids and adults of Il Do Taekwondo school, impressive dance performances by the students of Dance Factory and many others.

Preparing to tackle the blocks of concrete

There were also some amazing giveaways held – one lucky winner even walked away with a free trip to Korea!

One of the lucky winners at the giveaway!

In conjunction with KBS’s K-pop World Festival, KNF was selected to host and select the best performers to represent Singapore at the event. The finals of the K-pop World Festival Competition was held during KNF and we got to witness the finalists battle it out and compete for an opportunity to perform at the K-pop World Festival on an all expense paid trip to Korea.

It was a fierce competition as the top ten finalists (Lerene Tong, NEON, CYPHER, BLANCHE, AERO, STARRESECONDS, CL1MAX, Josephine, DESTRICT, POWER OF SIX) were judged based on their dance/vocals, facial expressions and lastly, audience response by a panel of strict judges. The finalists put up a great fight and all the performances were truly remarkable and enjoyable to watch with the dance category’s hypnotizing and in-sync performances and the vocal category’s enthralling voices.

Cypher

BLANCH

In the end, little red riding hood Lerene Thong, emerged first on the vocal category with her mesmerizing singing while the chic and energetic dance crew Destrict clinched the first place for the dance category with their impressive dance routine (which even involved the use of some baby powder for special effects).

Little Red Riding Hood, Lerene Thong

The finalists awaiting the results announcement

The most awaited moment of the evening then took place with the special guest appearance of K-pop boy band, LUNAFLY. The three dashing boys of Lunafly enthralled the audience with their hits “How Nice Would It Be (얼마나 좋을까)” and “Stardust“.

Lunafly’s youngest, Yun

On behalf of the group, Sam shared his thoughts about the event and revealed how honored they were to be invited to the festival to promote the Korean Culture in Singapore. He added that the performances put up by the finalists were fantastic and he expressed his wishes for LUNAFLY to be able to dance like them too.

Lunafly’s leader, Sam Carter

Moodmaker Teo from Lunafly

We were not surprised to hear Teo exclaim “We love Nandos” afterwards as the boys reaffirmed their love for the South African casual dining restaurant. Teo even joked that he would treat the fans to Nando’s if it was available in Korea (as sadly, his credit card can only be used there). The mini Lunafly concert then ended with “Special Guy” and “Fly To Love” which got the fans pumped up and off their seats. The boys were generous with their fan service and some fans even got to high-five Sam before he stepped off the stage.

Sam waving goodbye nearing the end of the concert

It was undeniably a great experience to be at the festival and for those unfamiliar with the Korean Culture, it is a fantastic way to learn more knowledge about it through the exposure. I gained a deeper insight into the Korean Wave and evolution in Singapore while being immersed in the Korean Culture at the festival.

Special thanks to the KNF Team for extending the media invite to The Fifth Parlour for K-pop Night Festival 6: KWave Evolution.