K-drama soundtrack concert celebrates 75 years of Korea-Philippines relations

The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra held a K-drama soundtrack concert on June 29 at the Metropolitan Theater in Manila to commemorate 75 years of diplomatic relations between Korea and the Philippines.

Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra performs in the Metropolitan Theater in Manila on June 29. [KOREAN CULTURAL CENTER]

The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra held a K-drama soundtrack concert on June 29 at the Metropolitan Theater in Manila to commemorate 75 years of diplomatic relations between Korea and the Philippines.

The concert, titled “OST Symphony: K-Drama in Concert," was organized by the Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines (KCC), the Philippines National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCAA) and the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP).

The orchestra performed pieces from K-drama soundtracks for approximately 90 minutes. The K-dramas represented in the concert were a mix of older and more recent releases, including “Jewel in the Palace” (2003-2004), “Descendants of the Sun” (2016), “Love in the Moonlight” (2016), “The World of the Married” (2020), and “King the Land” (2023).

Violinist Kim Mi-jung, who participated as an instrumentalist in numerous K-drama soundtracks and K-pop album recordings, was invited to perform as the guest concertmaster of the orchestra.

Filipino singers Zephanie Dimaran and Julie Anne San Jose also performed with the orchestra, as well as special guest Korean singer Gaho.

Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Philippines Lee Sang-hwa, NCAA deputy executive director Bernan Joseph Corpuz and CCP director Kaye Tinga attended the performance.

Tinga expressed delight at the commemoration of the diplomatic and cultural exchange between Korea and the Philippines through the concert, saying that the relationship between the two countries will be strengthened through the common language of music.

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]