By Manal Abdel Fattah
The Embassy of the Republic of Korea hosted an Iftar celebration for this year’s Ramadan at the Ambassador’s residence in Maadi, where Ambassador Kim Young-hyun welcomed close friends from the White Hearts Team, students of the Department of Korean Language and Literature at Ain Shams University as well as digital supporters of Egypt and Korea for the year 2024.
The embassy organized this event to celebrate the atmosphere of Ramadan, which is the month of affection, concern for others, peace, and sharing, while the White Hearts Team was established in Mahalla al-Kubra in 2017, with the aim of reviving traditional Egyptian dance and supporting the artistic efforts of individuals with disabilities.
The team consists of about 100 Egyptian individuals of determination who have distinctive musical abilities and pure hearts, as the name “White Hearts” indicates.
They are the first team of people of determination to compete globally alongside all the artistic teams in the arena at all levels.
In 2023, they won first place in the Awladna International Festival, which attracted participants from 48 countries.
At the embassy event, members of the White Hearts team performed folkloric performances, sharing their talents with the audience.
After a warm breakfast, Ambassador Kim expressed his appreciation for the folkloric performances and stressed his commitment to promoting friendship and understanding among community members. He emphasized the importance of Ramadan as an opportunity for people to embrace their differences and cultivate bonds of friendship and love that transcend any barriers.
Then a range of Korean dishes such as bulgogi, kimbap and crispy jon pancakes were served alongside Egyptian food at the event.
Khaled Qanida, the head coach of the “White Hearts” team, expressed his thanks to the ambassador for inviting the team to the iftar party. He is known for the team’s international achievements, which are due to their extensive training.
He also expressed his enthusiasm to showcase their performance in front of the audience.
This is the second time that the Embassy celebrates Ramadan with White Hearts, while the Embassy eagerly looks forward to continuing cooperation with them and looks forward to exploring new areas of cooperation in the future.
