First lady watches performances at K-pop dance contest in Manila

▲ First lady Kim Hea Kyung speaks during a K-pop dance contest at the Manila Metropolitan Theater in Manila on March 4, 2026. (Yonhap)
▲ First lady Kim Hea Kyung and K-pop dance teams pose for a photo during a K-pop dance contest at the Manila Metropolitan Theater in Manila on March 4, 2026. (Yonhap)

first lady-Philippines

First lady watches performances at K-pop dance contest in Manila

By Kim Eun-jung

SEOUL, March 4 (Yonhap) -- First lady Kim Hea Kyung attended a K-pop dance contest in Manila on Wednesday as part of her cultural diplomacy while accompanying President Lee Jae Myung's state visit to the Philippines.

Kim watched performances in the final round of "Everyone's KPOP: Battle of the Champions" held at the Manila Metropolitan Theater in the capital city, hosted by the Korean Cultural Center.

Lia Kim, a renowned South Korean dancer and CEO of 1MILLION Dance Studio, served as the judge for the final round, in which four teams compete.

At the end of the competition, Kim presented an award to the winning team and took photos with them. The team received round-trip airline tickets to South Korea and a training voucher at 1MILLION Dance Studio.

She also proposed that the host provide round-trip tickets to all four teams, drawing loud applause and cheers from participants and the audience.

"I can feel the enthusiasm among Filipinos for Korean culture," Kim said. "I heard that people here are learning Korean as a second language. I am surprised and proud that interest in Korean culture is leading to interest in the Korean language."

The event was arranged to encourage Philippine youth interested in K-pop and promote cultural exchanges between the two nations, according to Cheong Wa Dae.

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