"We are not brothers." (Park Jaemin)

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"We are brothers who share blood."

(In Turkish, it is called 'kan kardeş'.)

[Dispatch | Istanbul, Turkey = Reporter Kim So-jeong] South Korea and Turkey share a special relationship.

Turkey was the first to dispatch troops during the Korean War. Among participating nations including the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada, it was the fourth largest contributor with approximately 15,000 soldiers.

The bond of blood alliance forged on the battlefield has continued for over 70 years. It has steadily built a solid history of exchange spanning diplomacy, economy, and industry.

This year's Liberation Day was particularly special. In the heart of Istanbul, the brother's land, K-pop and Korean language resonated.

South Korea and Turkey held the 'Istanbul Festival' at Istanbul's 'Festival Park Yenikapi' on the 15th-16th (Korean time). This festival, marking its fifth edition this year, added a new stage.

A 'Korea Festival' section was established for the first time to commemorate Liberation Day. The lineup was carefully curated. Kwon Eunbi, ATEEZ, Sunmi, and MONSTA X took the stage representing Korea.

This performance was planned by the Korean Cultural Center in Turkey. Jeong Art & Company served as the official collaborator, overseeing K-pop performances. Actor Park Jaemin hosted over the two days.

"This is an event to commemorate the meaning of Liberation Day together. I am delighted to share the value of Liberation Day, when freedom and independence were reclaimed, with the Turkish people."(Ambassador Park Seok-jong, Republic of Korea to Turkey)

Kwon Eunbi was the first K-pop performer. She opened with her solo debut track 'Door'. She followed with 'Hi' and 'Hello Stranger', offering warm greetings. Kwon Eunbi made eye contact with fans and connected with them.

The Turkish fans' reaction was instinctive. Kwon Eunbi laughed and said, "It seems they don't hold back on expression. The energy is so good. Just making eye contact makes me feel so good that I naturally get drawn in."

The setlist was meticulous. She built momentum with the sensory rhythm of 'Unnatural' and a cover of Dua Lipa's 'Levitating'. The highlight was 'Underwater'. As soon as the intro played, group singing in Korean erupted.

ATEEZ adorned the finale. With 10 prepared songs, they started with 'Adrenaline' and 'Say My Name', continuing with intense performances. The venue was overwhelmed in an instant.

Killing tracks poured relentlessly. They unfolded hit songs including 'Bad', 'Walk', and 'Bouncy' in succession. Members roamed freely on stage, inspiring massive group singing and cheers.

The synergy with Turkish ATINYs was flawless. The plaza was filled with pirate and cowboy costumes, ATEEZ's core concept. Viewers enjoyed ATEEZ's worldview with their entire bodies, going beyond mere viewing.

Pacing was also impressive. Standing in a line to perform 'Wave' conveyed overwhelming emotion. With the free-form choreography of 'Enough', they narrowed the distance with the audience. They then recharged energy with 'NASA', 'Ice on My Teeth', and 'Guerrilla'.

The next day, at 9 p.m. local time on August 15, Sunmi took the stage. Before the performance, Park Jaemin opened by saying, "Today is a meaningful day for Korea. It is Liberation Day, when freedom was reclaimed."

Sunmi told Turkish Mianae, "I am grateful to have a meaningful relationship with Korea. Thanks to you, I was able to spend Liberation Day meaningfully."

On this day, Sunmi proved her prowess as a solo queen anew. Nationality and language barriers were already irrelevant. Representative hit songs erupted one after another.

The highlight was 'Tail'. Sunmi transformed into a primal cat woman. With floor choreography utilizing the stage floor and a mesmerizing gaze, she fanned the heat.

MONSTA X took the baton. With 'Dramarama' and 'Rush Hour', they displayed their distinctive aura. With their characteristic powerful synchronized choreography, they put a spectacular punctuation mark on the K-pop festival.

They also offered unique fan service. Minhyuk spontaneously performed ATEEZ's Choi San's 'Bad' challenge. Joohoney mentioned Turkish food, leading a friendly atmosphere of communication.

The flow transitioning between sentiment and passion was also impressive. With sweet vocals including 'The Dreaming' and 'Growing Pains', they left a lingering impression. They then reversed the mood with 'Burning Up' and 'Zone', concluding the performance.

The number of visitors over the two days reached approximately 100,000. The initial local estimate was 20,000 attendees. This figure exceeded expectations by five times. Sunmi fan EIllr (20) said, "Getting tickets was literally a war."

The heat was high even outside the venue. They did not stop at watching performances but enjoyed all aspects of Korean culture at various nearby spots.

Various interactive booths including K-Art, K-Beauty, and K-Food were set up. Visitors experienced K-pop dance challenges and beauty classes, and enjoyed tteokbokki and marinated chicken, experiencing Korean culture firsthand.

The food with the longest line was 'hot dog'. There, I met a 9-year-old Monbebe. She got into K-pop through her older cousin and naturally fell for K-food.

A surprise guest also appeared. It was soccer national team representative Oh Hyun-kyu, who plays for the renowned Turkish club 'Beşiktaş'. Oh Hyun-kyu interviewed with local media and took friendly commemorative photos with fans, creating another venue for cultural exchange.

Beyda (28) said, "It seems that interest that started with music flows naturally into food and beauty," explaining, "In Turkey, Korean Wave has transcended trend and permeated deeply into our lives as a comprehensive lifestyle."

"K-pop, which I happened to discover on YouTube, is both great comfort and great energy in my life. Whether starting my day, working, or exercising, I listen to K-pop. I am truly grateful to the singers who traveled a long way and gave us this gift-like stage. See you again next year."(Matthew·29)

<Photos=Photographer Jung Young-woo>