New Year Celebration for Singaporeans Living in Korea
The Singapore Embassy in Seoul recently held an annual New Year Reception for Singaporeans and Friends of Singapore in the Grand Hyatt Seoul on February 23rd, Sunday. Recently, there has been an increase in the number of Singaporeans living in Korea due to various reasons, such as seeking employment, education and marriage. The Singapore Embassy in Seoul has been actively providing assistance to Singaporeans who are living in or visiting Korea, and such receptions is one of the initiatives to help build meaning bonds between Singaporeans living in Korea and Koreans who are associated with Singapore.
Welcome Speech by Singapore Ambassador
The New Year Reception started with a welcome speech by Ambassador Eric Teo, who addressed the importance of this year's celebrations, as Singapore and Korea come together to celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations. In addition, 2025 is a particular special year as it marks SG60, Singapore's 60th year of independence. I had the honour to be one of the participants of this year's reception, where I was able to celebrate this special occasion with other Singaporeans living in Korea like myself. On top of Singaporeans, the event was also open to Koreans who are associated with Singapore, such as those working in Singaporean companies in Korea, those married to Singaporeans, and those who have permanent residency in Singapore. It was a great opportunity for Koreans and Singaporeans to interact with each other while celebrating such an important occasion.
Cultural Exchange Between Singapore and Korea
One of the main highlights of the reception was “Lo Hei”, which is one of the traditional food eaten in Singapore during the Lunar New Year celebrations. Families and friends would come together during the Lunar New Year and enjoy this Prosperity Toss, where each ingredient and condiment is added in sequence while reciting auspicious phrases in order to welcome the new year. Diners would then stand around the table with chopsticks, tossing the mix while exchanging blessings. One of the main ingredients is the raw fish, usually salmon, which symbolises abundance, as the Chinese character for fish sounds similar to the Chinese character for abundance. After the “Lo Hei”, there was a buffet with Singaporean dishes for all participants to enjoy together. I had the opportunity to join the reception with my husband who is Korean, as it was a great opportunity to introduce more of my culture to him, as many of the dishes found during the reception are not easily found in Korea. It as a memorable experience as everyone enjoyed the dish together, while learning about the culture of one of the communities living in Korea.
Commemoration of 50 Years of Singapore-Korean Diplomatic Relations
Additionally, Mr Seah Kian Peng, Speaker of Parliament of Singapore, also graced the occasion as he was on an official visit to Korea. He gave a speech to address the amicable friendship between Korea and Singapore, and also presented prizes to winner of the luck draw event held at the end of the reception. I was honoured to be selected as one of the winners of the lucky draw, where winners could receive well-known Korean products, such as skincare and health supplements. It was my second time to participate in the reception organised by the Singapore Embassy in Seoul, as it was a memorable experience for me, as not only could I interact with other Singaporeans living in Korea, I could also introduce Singaporean cuisine and culture to my Korean husband. As there are more and more multi-cultural families in Korea recently, such events are a great platform for inter-racial and multi-cultural families to learn about other cultures and cuisine, and also help promote bilateral relationships between countries. As a Singaporean living in Busan, it was even more meaningful as there are no Singaporean restaurants in Busan, and I finally managed to try Singaporean food in Korea.
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