The ASEAN Plus Bazaar, held on May 3-4 at Psychico Square in Athens, Greece, brought together embassies and cultural representatives from across Asia. Organized by the embassies of Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Bangladesh, China, Japan, Pakistan, and the Honorary Consulate of Malaysia, in collaboration with the charity organization “Friends of the Child”, the event aimed to promote cross-cultural exchange and raise support for children in need.
Running from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day, the Bazaar welcomed visitors from across Athens, eager to discover Asia's diverse traditions, flavors and performances. Among the highlights was Korea's booth.
Decorated with hanboks and korean traditional lanterns, the booth offered a wide range of items: from Korean skincare products and snacks to the refreshing herbal drink “omija tea”, known for its floral and tart flavor.
The real crowd-puller came at noon, when kimchi fried rice was served, attracting even more visitors eager to experience authentic Korean flavors.
At 1 p.m., the attention shifted to the stage, where the Greek K-pop dance cover group “We Serein” delivered a powerful performance. The group, well-known for winning first place at the 2024 K-wave Festival in Athens and second place at the 2024–2025 IN10SIVE Contest, captivated the crowd with their energy and precise choreography. We Serein was invited to perform on behalf of Korea, showcasing how K-pop continues to influence and connect people worldwide.
Their participation was particularly meaningful, as they had the honor of meeting the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Hellenic Republic Mr. Ju-seong LIM during the event. Given their strong presence in the Greek K-pop scene and their role in representing Korea at such a high-profile multicultural event, we conducted an interview to gain insight into their journey, challenges and aspirations.
The following are excerpts from an interview on May 4 with We Serein.
1. How did you feel representing Korea through K-pop at such a multicultural event like the ASEAN Plus Bazaar?
We felt truly honored to be given the opportunity to represent south korea through kpop at such a vibrant, multicultural festival. It was such a great experience to be able to share our passion for dance surrounded by so many amazing traditional performances from across Asia!
2. What do you consider the biggest challenge when performing K-pop choreographies, and how do you turn it into motivation for growth?
One of the biggest challenges in doing kpop covers is blending our individual dance styles into a cohesive group performance. Each of us has a unique dance personality, and that difference motivates us to practice more together, to grow as a team and develop a unified style while still keeping our individuality.
3. How do you envision your group’s journey in the near future?
Looking forward as a group, we hope to reach even more people and continue to grow together through exciting opportunities like this one, hopefully on even bigger, international stages because we love performing and showing the world our effort and attention to detail.
