NEW DELHI: In celebration of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and India, the Korean Cultural Centre India hosted the grand finale of the “All India K-Pop Contest 2023 (Presented by LG)” at the Thyagaraj Sports Complex in New Delhi. This event brought together over 4,000 people who shared a love for K-pop and Korean culture. The event was attended by Chang Jae-Bok, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to India, Saurabh Kumar Secretary (East Asia) Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and Hong Ju Jeon, MD, LG India.

Vocalist Prachi Sharma from New Delhi emerged as the winner in Vocal and Group ‘With Nine’ from Itanagar, the capital of the northeast Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh was adjudged the dance winners. 1st runner-ups were (vocal) – Jaisri Shruti from Bengaluru and (dance) – Outkasts from Delhi and 2nd runner-ups were (vocal) – Manya Singh from Lucknow and (dance) – Axiom from Mumbai.  The winner of the grand finale earned the opportunity to visit Korea. The 1st runner-up received an audio product, “X Boom,” and the 2nd runner-up received an earbud from LG.

The contest began in April, with approximately 11,000 participants in the initial online round. Following that, the regional round took place in 11 major cities across India. The journey culminated in the semi-finals in New Delhi, where 12 talented teams advanced to the grand finale.

Chang Jae-Bok, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to India said, “I hope this stage becomes a launching pad for your dreams of becoming K-pop stars. Beyond anything else, I wish for all the participants and the audience here to feel the beauty of cooperation over competition. This year marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and India. As we commemorate these 50 years of collaboration and friendship, I believe that the lessons of cooperation and friendship we learn through this contest will guide both countries beautifully into the next 50 years, and even a century ahead.”

A live video call with the global girl group “X:IN,” which includes three Korean members and one each from Russia and India, added to the excitement. “Aria,” a member from India, drew attention as the third Indian member of a K-pop group, with her doll-like appearance at the time of her debut.

Anushka Sen, a popular Indian influencer with 39 million followers, also sent her congratulatory video message. Anushka Sen has received awards such as the 2022 India Television Academy Award for Popular Actress (Web Category) for her work, including her role in the film “Sammaditthi.”

The finalists in the dance category included “With Nine” from Itanagar, “Outkasts” from Delhi, “Serein” from Bengaluru, “Elite” from Chennai, “Axiom” from Mumbai, and “TH7” from Hyderabad. In the vocal category, participants included Prachi Sharma from Delhi, Sai Madhav Rella from Hyderabad, Jaisri Shruti G from Bengaluru, Sruthi Ramnarayan from Chennai, Abhipriya Chakraborty from Kolkata, and Manya Singh from Lucknow.

The grand finale featured a congratulatory performance and judging by the popular Korean idol group “MCND.” MCND, a global boy group consisting of members Castle J, Bic, Minjae, Huijin, and Win, made their debut in 2020 and has gained popularity not only in Korea but also in South America, Europe, Japan, and beyond. They performed their hit songs “ICE-AGE” and “Crush”. Additionally, they surprised the audience with a dance to the famous Indian song “Tu Meri.” They had a joint performance with participants, choreographed to MCND’s popular track “#MOOD” released last year.

The judging criteria for the grand finale included pitch, rhythm, expression, pronunciation, stage charisma (vocal), accuracy, choreography, technique, and stage charisma (dance).

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