Hanoi (VNS/VNA) -Vietnamese people and foreigners living in Vietnam can enter the K-Pop Contest2019 launched by Radio Voice of Vietnam (VOV) on October 1 in Hanoi.

Contestants aged 9-25 canregister to join the contest from October 2 to November 20. The final round andawards ceremony will take place in January.

Entries can be submitted to theorganising board with sound recordings or video clips. Each contestantwill be able to send one or two songs performed in Korean. 

The song contest will be splitinto two categories depending on age, including 9 to 16 and 17 to 25.

Winners of the contest will havea chance to perform and release albums in the Republic of Korea (RoK). All thefinalists will be trained by professional music producers and artists ofSublime Entertainment Concert Company, co-organiser of the contest.

The event aims to contribute tocross-cultural exchanges between Vietnam and the Republic of Korea, accordingto Tran Nhat Duong, deputy head of music and entertainment Channel VOV3 (radiochannel).

The contest is part ofactivities to commemorate 27 years since the establishment of diplomaticrelations between Vietnam and the RoK (1992-2019), and one year since the firstKorean language programme broadcast on VOV. 

Duong, deputy head of thecontest’s organising board, said the event aims to discover new talents andhelp audiences understand more about the music and culture of both Vietnam andthe RoK, in addition to providing a platform for young artists.

“Korean culture and Hallyu(Korean wave) are so popular among Vietnamese young people, so we hope that thecontest will attract many candidates to join,” Duong said.

Kim Hyo-jae, CEO SublimeEntertainment Concert Company, said the contest is expected to serve as abridge connecting the people of both countries.

“The RoK is renowned for beinghome to a lot of talented producers and choreographers with plenty ofexperience, it is therefore hoped they can help to develop talents capable ofdebuting in both Vietnam and the RoK,” said Kim.   

The judges include famous singersand composers from both nations. Among them will be Yang Jung-seung, also knownas Midas Son, a producer for many well-known Korean singers such as KimJong-kook, Kim Bum-soo, MC The Max and Lee Sun-hee.

Choreographer Lee Won-woo willalso be a judge in the contest. He played a key role during the Love Yourself concert by the band BTSin 2018 and in the music video for Idols,also by BTS, one of the world's most popular bands. 

Contestants will also be allowedto sing Korean songs in their own styles or remix famous songs. Organisers alsoencourage contestants to compose new pieces in Korean language.

Those who enter the final roundwill be trained in vocal techniques, and stage skills by Korean experts. Asidefrom their appearance, they will also perform on VOV’s radio and televisionchannels, as well as in domestic and foreign media. 

The winner will receive a cashprize of 50 million VND (2,500 USD) whilst the second-place prize winner willget 30 million VND (1,500 USD)./.