'Harmony of the World' performance set for June 20 — a cultural exchange for immigrants and multicultural families
African traditional percussion, djembe rhythms and live vocals carry a message of unity
Mapo Central Library in Mapo-gu (district mayor Park Kang-su) will host a multicultural performance titled "Harmony of the World" on June 20, bringing together immigrants, multicultural families and local residents to experience and share cultures from around the world.
The event is the first in the "Five Senses World Culture" program, part of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's 2026 Library Multicultural Service Support Project.
"Five Senses World Culture" is designed to let participants explore cultures from around the world through performances, picture books, cooking experiences and more.
The opening event, "Harmony of the World," will be held at 2 p.m. June 20 at Majung Hall on the sixth floor of Mapo Central Library.
Themed "Rhythms That Cross Borders," the performance will feature artists from Nigeria, Morocco, Colombia and South Africa in a vibrant multicultural showcase.
The stage will include ensemble performances on African traditional percussion instruments — djembe, dundun and shakaré — along with dance, a K-pop set reimagined through djembe rhythms, and a live vocal performance of "Circle of Life" from the musical "The Lion King."
The free performance is open to 250 attendees, including immigrants, multicultural families and Korean families.
Registration is available through the Mapo Central Library website; inquiries can be directed to the Lifelong Learning Division's Library Operations Team at Mapo-gu Office.
Additional world culture programs will follow the performance.
From July through August, the library will run the "World Picture Book Travel Club" for first- through third-grade elementary school students. Participants will read picture books from Japan, Madagascar, the Philippines and Russia and take part in hands-on craft activities to explore each country's culture.
From October through November, the "Cook It, See the World" program will invite multicultural and Korean families to prepare traditional dishes from Japan, Morocco, Thailand, Taiwan and Mongolia, experiencing each country's food culture firsthand.
Registration schedules and application details for each program will be announced separately on the Mapo Central Library website at a later date.
"This performance will be a time to understand and connect with different cultures and backgrounds through the common language of music," a library official said, adding that the library welcomes broad interest and participation in the world culture experience programs to come.
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