The grand finale of the "All India K-pop Contest 2023" was hosted in association with the Korean Culture Centre at Thyagaraj Sports Complex in New Delhi

LG Electronics hosted the grand finale of the "All India K-Pop Contest 2023" at the Thyagaraj Sports Complex in New Delhi in association with the Korean Cultural Centre. The event brought together over 4,000 participants.

The competition, which commenced as a long-term project in April, saw 11,000 participants in the initial online round. Following that, the regional round unfolded in 11 major cities across India, including Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai, and Itanagar, among others. The journey culminated in the semi-finals held in New Delhi, where 12  teams earned their place in the grand finale. The event was graced by the presence of Ambassador Chang Jae-Bok from the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in India, Saurabh Kumar- Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs and Hong Ju Jeon, MD LG India.

Hong Ju Jeon, MD-LG INDIA said “We are grateful to the youth & Gen Z for making the All-India K-POP Contest 2023 (Presented by LG) a grand success. Through our recent global campaign of Life's Good, we are encouraging customers to have a positive outlook on life & music certainly plays a significant role in uplifting the human spirit. The K-POP contest not only gave us an avenue to appreciate some of the rising K-POP stars in the country but also helped strengthen relations between Korea and India. We will continue to enhance people’s lives through innovative products & technologies along with meaningful integrated marketing campaigns.”

Prachi Sharma of Delhi won first place in the vocal category, while the dance category was won by the group "With Nine" from Itanagar. The finalists in the dance category included "With Nine" from Itanagar, "Outkasts" from Delhi, "Serein" from Bengaluru, "Elite" from Chennai, "Axiom" from Mumbai, and "TH7" from Hyderabad. In the vocal category, participants included Prachi Sharma from Delhi, Sai Madhav Rella from Hyderabad, Jaisri Shruti G from Bengaluru, Sruthi Ramnarayan from Chennai, Abhipriya Chakraborty from Kolkata, and Manya Singh from Lucknow.

The grand finale was graced by a congratulatory performance and judging by the popular Korean idol group "MCND," a  boy group comprising members Castle J, Bic, Minjae, Huijin, and Win who made their debut in 2020. They performed their hit songs "ICE-AGE" and "Crush," they presented a dance performance to "Tu Meri" and had a joint performance with participants choreographed to MCND's popular track "#MOOD" released last year.

Hwang Il-Yong, Director of the Korean Cultural Centre in India, stated, “We are deeply grateful for the tremendous interest and love shown by all the participants in the K-Pop contest and the enthusiastic audience who attended. K-pop has transcended boundaries, becoming a powerful means of cultural exchange not only within Korea but also with people around the world. We aspire to offer dreams and hope to the youth of India through the magic of K-Pop. The Korean Cultural Centre India remains dedicated to providing a dream stage for all those who cherish K-Pop and Korean culture.”

The event was hosted by Son Dan commemorating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and India.

The judging criteria for the grand finale encompassed pitch, rhythm, expression, pronunciation, stage charisma (vocal), accuracy, choreography, technique, and stage charisma (dance). The grand finale winner earned the opportunity to visit Korea, while the 1st runner-up received the audio product, "X Boom," and the 2nd runner-up received earbuds from LG.