▲ The opening ceremony of the World Choir Games Gangneung 2023, held in Gangneung Arena, Gangwon Province, South Korea on July 3 – Photo by World Choir Games 2023 Gangneung Organizing Committee

Located in the province of Gangwon-do on the east coast of South Korea, Gangneung is a famous spot for summer vacation with beautiful beaches to cool off from the summer heat. This July, there is another reason that makes many people gather at Gangneung – the World Choir Games 2023.

As introduced in the previous article on our channel, the 12th World Choir Games is taking places in Gangneung from July 3 to 13 under the theme of “Peace and Prosperity for All”. SK Innovation is one of the official sponsor of the event this year.

The World Choir Games (formerly the Choir Olympics) is the largest choral festival and competition in the world organized by the Interkultur Foundation. Cohosted by Gangwon State and Gangneung Province, the 2023 Games aims to deliver messages of courage and hope to people around the world who have had difficult times due to COVID-19 over the past few years.

As more than 8,000 musicians from 34 countries gathered at one place, the event is a platform for diverse cultures and languages meet and connect through harmony. It breaks all the national boundaries and unifies people with the power of music, delivering inspirational messages to the whole world.

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▲ The opening ceremony of the World Choir Games Gangneung 2023, held in Gangneung Arena on July 3 – Photos by World Choir Games 2023 Gangneung Organizing Committee

SK Innovation, which has been active in various activities to support local communities, is participating as an official sponsor of this event. On the first day of the World Choir Games 2023, the company operated a booth at the main venue of the event in Gangneung arena to promote Busan’s bid to host World Expo 2030.

Visitors came to SK Innovation’s booth could take photos with SK Innovation’s eco-friendly character Happy Elephant and Busan Metropolitan City’s mascot Boogi (Busan Seagull), and participate in the Wheel of Action roulette game to win special gifts. These include Usisan’s T-shirts made from upcycled waste plastics and Grapelab’s laptop stands made from recycled paper. Both Usisan and Grapelab are eco-friendly social enterprises supported by SK Innovation.

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▲ Participants and visitors of the World Choir Games Gangneung 2023 took photos and joined events at the SK Innovation’s booth, dedicated to promote Busan’s bid to host World Expo 2030, set up at the venue.

Moreover, SK Innovation also supports the special performances of Eins Baum Wind Chamber and Dream with Ensemble, two winner teams of previous Great Music Festival (GMF) on July 6 and 12, when the awards ceremony of the World Choir Games 2023 are held. Einsbaum Wind Chamber was the Grand Prize winner of GMF last year and they performed an orchestra on the 6^th. Dream With Ensemble was the Grand Prize winner of the very first GMF, and they will bring a clarinet ensemble performance on the 12^th.

GMF is the largest music festival for people with developmental disabilities in South Korea. It has been continuously supported by SK Innovation since 2017 and is a music competition officially recognized by the Korean Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism. GMF serves as a platform to nurture the talents and enhance social skills of those with developmental disabilities, and to bring them more chances to connect with the society through their performances. This year, the 7^th GMF will be held on September 26 at the New Millennium Hall of Konkuk University, Seoul, South Korea.

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▲ Eins Baum Wind Chamber, the winner of the previous Great Music Festival, performed special stages at the World Choir Games 2023 held in Gangneung, South Korea.

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▲ Dream with Ensemble, the winner of the previous Great Music Festival, performed special stages at the World Choir Games 2023 held in Gangneung, South Korea on July 12.