São Paulo, Jun. 10 (Korea Bizwire) – In a symbolic gesture celebrating the friendly relations between South Korea and Brazil, the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was draped in a traditional Korean hanbok on the night of June 7 (local time).
According to Brazilian news sources, including G1, Rio de Janeiro’s iconic statue was illuminated with a projection of a hanbok, the traditional Korean garment.
This unprecedented display, marking the first time that the statue donned the traditional costume of another country, was part of the celebrations commemorating the establishment of diplomatic ties between South Korea and Brazil in 1959.
The event was jointly organized by the Korean Cultural Center in Brazil, the Korean Embassy in Brazil, the city of Jinju, and Scuola di Cultura, a Brazilian cultural institution.
The hanbok design projected onto the statue was created by the renowned designer Lee Jin-hee.
Explaining the significance of the colors used, Lee said, “The blue color symbolizes the birth of spring and life, and is one of the five cardinal colors in Korean tradition. In the Brazilian flag, green represents the sky and rivers. The colors used in the belt of the hanbok also incorporate the logo colors of the G20 summit, which Brazil will host in November. By projecting the Korean traditional costume onto the Christ the Redeemer statue, I hope to further strengthen the friendly ties between Korea and Brazil.”
In addition to the hanbok projection, the institution managing the statue released a special video featuring the rector of the Christ the Redeemer Sanctuary, Father Omar, and Lim Ki-mo, the South Korean ambassador to Brazil, singing a Brazilian song together.
As an extension of the hanbok event, the South Korean national flag, the Taegeukgi, was scheduled to be projected onto the Christ the Redeemer statue on the night of June 8.
Image credit: Niterói Contemporary Art Museum, Yonhap / photonews@koreabizwire.com
