On October 9, Sunday, the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the Korea Foundation for International Culture Exchange held the “Global Friendship Festival” at the outdoor performance hall of Yevit inside Sebit, which is a floating island next to the Banpo Hangang River Park, from noon until 6 p.m., together with the GKL Foundation.

The festival was held under the theme of “Outlookie, Embracing the Global Youth!”, during which experts working in various fields provide mentoring to youth who are worried about their career paths. First, Carlos Gorito, who appears as Brazil’s representative in the JTBC television program “Non-Summit” and works at the Brazilian Embassy in Korea, provided mentoring to foreign students.

In addition, a nonverbal performance was held not only for foreign students studying in Korea, but also for Koreans, so that they may enjoy the event without any language constraints. “Ongals,” a team of comedians from “Gag Concert” of the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) currently performing not only in Korea but also globally, including the United Kingdom and Australia; the musical “Bibap,” the world’s tastiest performance held under the theme of food; and indie bands “Cherry Factory” and “Jannabi” appeared as mentors to help foreign youth having a difficult time adjusting to their life in Korea, studies, and part-time  jobs relieve their stress.

Not only that. Postcards, with words of encouragement handwritten in the Korean language and the different languages of the world, were handed out to all participants visiting the festival in commemoration of the Korean Alphabet Day. Furthermore, the culture and arts playground, consultation playground, and other various programs lured people passing by the Banpo Hangang River Park into the festival.

Launched in 2015, “Outlookie” is a culture program that supports bilateral exchanges between Korean and foreign students. It is aimed at alleviating the stress brought about by cultural differences experienced by international students studying in Korea, thereby enhancing their level of satisfaction with their life in Korea, and for them to hold positive feelings toward and speak positively about Korea. The second batch of students held a kickoff ceremony in April and have experienced various Korean culture each month. The group will hold a ceremony of disbanding in November.