Seoul, 18 June 2017 - In its continuing efforts to promote Philippine culture as well as in advancing multiculturalism awareness in South Korea, the Philippine Embassy in Seoul, in partnership with the World Multicultural Museum, organized an exhibition of a traditional Filipino wedding at the St. Benedict Church in Hyehwadong, Seoul.

Two Filipino-Korean couples, who have been legally married for more than a decade, renewed their vows in traditional Catholic wedding rites before Fr. Alfredo Africa and witnessed by invited guests, that included representatives from the local government office, the couples' friends and relatives, as well as the hundreds of Filipino weekly parishioners at the church.

The wedding ceremony featured the ceremonial march of the couples and their entourage, as well as traditional Catholic wedding customs such as the lighting of the candles of unity, the blessing and exchange of arras, and the placing of the veil and cord on the couples. The wedding ceremony ended with the traditional releasing of the doves and the throwing of rice grains at the couples.
After the one and a half hour long church ceremony, the guests were invited to a reception to partake of a wide array of Filipino cuisines and be part of the wedding festivities celebrating the completion of the marriage ceremony. As the event was meant to showcase Philippine culture, the program featured a traditional dance performance as well as a musical performance from local talents.
During the program, Philippine Ambassador to South Korea Raul S. Hernandez, in his congratulatory message for the couples, underscored the importance of the event as it "further strengthens the bonds of Filipinos and Koreans, as well as symbolizes the robust bilateral relations of the two countries, through multicultural marriages."
This year's Filipino wedding ceremony is the fifth among a series of multicultural weddings organized by Mr. Kim Yun Tae, Director and Founder of the World Multicultural Museum in collaboration with Seoul-based Embassies.

The 5-storey Museum located in the northwestern side of Seoul was established by Mr. Kim with a mission to bridge the gap between the Korean mainstream communities and foreigners living in South Korea. The museum houses an abundant collection of artifacts and costumes around the world with the hope of educating their visitors about the history, architecture and culture of other nations.
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