LLANELLI Town Centre was transformed into Korea on Saturday (Oct 15) as the Korean Culture Festival got underway.
Performers in traditional Korean costume entertained shoppers with songs, dance, food and activities. It was a very vibrant colourful and exciting event, which attracted a large crowd.
Food on offer included Bibimbap – a traditional Korean lunch-in-a-bowl – which mixes together a simple salad of rice, mixed vegetables, rice, beef, and egg, with sesame oil and a dollop of chilli paste for seasoning.
Dancers sported beautiful dresses and colourful fans while musicians played traditional Korean instruments, accompanied by some more modern items such as guitars, an organ and the very lively Bongo Clive on the bongos.
The festival even attracted the Shadow Secretary for Defence, Nia Griffith MP, who took time to speak with the performers and learn a little about Korean culture. There was a purpose to the festival, which was explained to the audience by one of the young missionaries.
He said: “We owe a lot to the people of Wales because it was through a Welsh missionary that we learned about Christianity.”
The young missionary told the Llanelli audience about Robert Thomas, a Welsh missionary in China who developed a strong desire to work among the people of Korea. In the 19th century, Korea was largely closed to foreigners because of the government’s fear of foreign influence. Thomas made his first visit to the Korean coast in 1865, making him the second known Protestant missionary to Korea. Thomas was slain either by Korean civilians or by soldiers in 1866.
On Saturday, visitors to the festival were told that Chinese bible pages (assumed to be one of bibles that were distributed by Thomas) were used by a Korean villager to wallpaper his house and that this was discovered by the local Christian community in early 1900s.
The Korean missionary explained: “People came from all over to read the words on his walls and eventually a church was established in the area.”
The festival was organised by Frontline Nations and Carmarthenshire County Council, and it is believed to be the first of its kind in Wales.
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