The Korean embassy held a Lunar New Year celebration on Friday with the Korean community in Qatar. It was the first large cultural event with the Korean community held in Qatar since the start of Covid-19 pandemic, the embassy said in a statement. A large number of Korean residents participated in the event to celebrate the Lunar New Year, which falls on Sunday, January 22.The participants had a chance to play traditional Korean games, such as Yut Nori and Jegichagi, which families and friends play during the Lunar New Year. They were also served a wide variety of traditional Korean cuisines, including Tteokguk (Korean rice cake soup), which Koreans eat on New Year's Day. Joon-ho Lee, Korean ambassador to Qatar, welcomed the guests and wished all the best to the Korean community on the occasion of the Lunar New Year. He also extended his sincere gratitude to the community for their contributions to enhancing Korea-Qatar relations.There are about 2,000 Koreans residing in Qatar, associated with various fields such as construction, infrastructure, accommodation and restaurants. He also appreciated the role of the Korean community in the preparations for successful FIFA World Cup last year, so that Korean residents as well as fans from Korea could enjoy the tournament fully and safely."The Korean community has been deeply intertwined with the World Cup. Korean companies have contributed to various infrastructure projects for the World Cup, such as highway, the Doha Metro, Al Thumama Stadium and the iconic Lusail Plaza towers," the statement added. Joon-ho Lee said the embassy will continue to assist the Korean community in various ways and this Lunar New Year celebration event is a great opportunity to remind the Korean community of the true meaning of solidarity and unity.
January 21, 2023 | 10:38 PM