The Korean Cultural Centre (KCC) held on 17 June an online introductory lecture on the 2021 “Quiz on Korea” cultural competition.

The competition targets people interested in the Korean culture and willing to speak the Korean language. The competition tests participants' general knowledge of Korean history, economy, language, and culture.

“Quiz on Korea” is an international competition organised annually for K-Fans around the world as part of the public diplomacy programme supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea and KBS television.

It is meant to help spread the Korean cultural wave, or Hallyu.

Hallyu is Chinese for “Korean Wave”. It is a collective term used to refer to the phenomenal growth of the Korean culture, encompassing everything from music, movies, drama to online games and Korean cuisine.

Director of the KCC Oh Sung-ho said, “This competition has its own special character than any other events, as the participants of the competition are the Korean culture fans who have moved beyond their passion for watching Korean drama, and hearing the ‘K-Pop’ songs, and moved on to learn Korean language.”

Oh Sung-ho added that organising the competition is considered an implied tribute to K-fans in Egypt as well as an additional incentive to continue their interest in the Korean culture.

The final round used to be held in Korea, but due to the Covid-19 repercussions, the winners of the competition won’t be able to visit Korea and will instead be awarded prizes.

The KCC is scheduled to host the preliminary round of the competition on 22 June, including a written exam. The top 15 contestants will be selected to participate in the final round to take place on 28 June.