K-pop stars to heat up Gangnam Festival Oct. 2-7

Boy band Super Junior will perform on the last day of the Gangnam Festival on a stage near the COEX, southern Seoul, on Oct. 7.

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By Kim Rahn

In October, you'll find Seoul's southern district of Gangnam will offer a lot more than the rodeo dance of "Gangnam Style".

The district will hold the Gangnam Festival from Oct. 2 through 7 showcasing its infrastructure related to fashion, shopping and "hallyu" entertainment, which is making the region a must-visit tourist destination.

Started in 2007 as a fashion festival, the annual event has been expanded to include other entertainment elements that can show off the district.

"We hope the event will not remain a local one but become a global festival, raising Gangnam's brand and helping boost the area's economy", said the district's chief, Shin Yeon-hee.

The festivities will be comprised of a marathon, a fashion festival and concerts by top K-pop groups, Super Junior and Girls' Generation.

Peace marathon

The 10th International Peace Marathon Festival will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 3, a charity run which will donate participation fees to children around the world suffering from the effects of war and famine.

About 10,000 people are expected to take part, including marathon club members, soldiers from the Eighth U.S. Army, foreign diplomats stationed in Seoul and multiracial families.

They can choose among full, half, 10-kilometer or 5-kilometer courses. The start and finish point is COEX, while the route is along the Yangjae and Tan streams, and the Han River. For teenagers, a separate event will be prepared with 5-kilometer and 10-kilometer courses.

Before the race begins, a mass performance is planned where participants can groove with the horse-riding dance of "Gangnam Style". Singer Ali and hip-hop group Dynamic Duo will also perform on the main stage at 10 a.m.

Fashion festival

Gangnam's "fashion district" ranges from Apgujeong to Cheongdam-dong where many high-end brand shops are located.

During the Gangnam Festival, fashion will be an important factor, with contests and fashion shows from Oct. 4 to 6 in front of the COEX.

At 6 p.m. on Oct. 4, 25 young designers will take part in a contest and present their works.

Famous designers and apparel company officials will select winners for a total of 20 million won in prize money as well as a chance to work as interns at the firms and participate in a fashion show in New York.

Another fashion show prepared on Oct. 5 will mainly focus on "hanbok", or traditional Korean outfits, and wedding dresses because there are so many shops for such garments in Gangnam. Famous designers including Lee Suk-tae and Ko Tae-yong, will present their collections.

Fashion trends of sister cities in Turkey, China and Japan will be introduced in an international fashion show on Oct. 6.

Shoppers can also participate in a T-shirt design contest on the theme of "I Love Gangnam".

During the six-day festival period, visitors can receive discounts of up to 60 percent at department stores, shopping malls, theaters and restaurants taking part in the "Gangnam Grand Sale". For restaurants or theaters, visitors should carry relevant coupons, which can be obtained at festival venues or community centers in the district.

'Hallyu' performance

The highlight of the festival will be a K-pop performance at 7 p.m. on Oct. 7 on Yeongdong Street in front of the COEX.

A free concert by Super Junior and Girls' Generation, Gangnam's publicity ambassador groups, will heat up the festive mood. The two top hallyu groups will be onstage for about two hours. They will be accompanied by special guest _ boy band TVXQ.

"We expect visitors from all around the world to come to see the concert, especially China because the festival takes place around China's National Day holiday", Shin said.

Presuming that larger numbers will gather than for Rain's concert last year, the district office is preparing safety measures in cooperation with police.

"We believe these events will publicize Gangnam, which participated in the capital's hosting of international meetings such as the G20 Seoul Summit and the Seoul Nuclear Security Summit", Shin said.

"Following the festival, we'll work with entertainment agencies here to form a hallyu stars street to make Gangnam the center of hallyu-related tourism", she said.