XMOB and Victory Mbagwu Win Big at K-Pop Festival in Lagos

Yinka Olatunbosun

A rich cultural display, the last edition of the K-Pop festival in Lagos was a compelling sight: pulsating Korean pop music and a series of electrifying dance. Held at Terra Kulture, Victoria Island, Lagos, the competition featured 21 finalists in both dance and music categories. XMOB and Victory Mbagwu took home the top prizes in their categories.

After an evening of eclectic performances, XMOB, a group of five dancers known as Xtremely and Xtraordinary Made Of Beats, won first place in the dance category. They were awarded N700,000 and an LG 55-inch LED TV. Victory Mbagwu won first place in the music category, earning N400,000 and an LG 55-inch LED TV.

The group Femmevoice impressed the audience with their energetic performance of “O.O” by NMIXX, winning the popularity prize and second place in the dance category. They received N700,000 and an LG LED TV. Other winners included Macwhitney Myles and Mayowa Miller in the music category, and B-stars in the dance category.

Lee Sang-ho, the Korean Consul General in Lagos, reflected on the importance of cultural exchange between Nigeria and Korea in his remarks. He recounted how K-Pop, along with other aspects of Korean culture like K-Drama and K-Food, is becoming more popular among Nigerian youths, inspiring their hopes and dreams.

“This cultural exchange has witnessed the expansion of modern Korean waves like K-Pop, K-Drama, K-Food, K-Beauty, K-Fashion, and K-Music led by BTS and Blackpink. Among the Korean wave culture, K-Pop is trending and becoming more popular these days among young people, especially Nigerian youths. K-Pop beats and dance steps are tunes that Nigerian youths can easily dance to, sing, relate to, and vibe with as they keep their hopes, dreams, and aspirations alive, making it more enshrined among teenagers. I want to thank all our sponsors, especially the managing director of LG Electronics Nigeria, Mr. Jihun Sub, for sponsoring the prizes for today’s event,” he stated in his opening speech.

He revealed that the winners will join other winners worldwide to attend the next World K-Pop Festival in Changwon City, Korea. “Several teams from around the world that passed the preliminary rounds will advance to the finals, which promise to include spectacular performances by famous Korean idols and artists, to be held in Changwon City in Korea.”

The highlights of the festival included a raffle draw and guest performances by The Royals, 2023 winners in the dance category, and Seo Ye Na, a South Korean singer and actress. Jang Eun Jae, a Korean dancer and instructor, also featured in the festival and served as a judge in the competition, along with BBNaija star Praise Nelson. Praise Nelson, not new to competing, was a winner at the K-Pop World Festival in South Korea in 2015 and won third place at a national dance competition in 2010.

XMOB, who travelled from Port Harcourt, expressed their happiness at winning despite facing many challenges during their preparation. Victory Mbagwu, who had participated in other Korean music competitions without winning, was thrilled to finally win this time. She shared that she is a scriptwriter and was introduced to K-Drama by her sister, which influenced her writing style.

The K-Pop Festival, organised by Korea Cultural Center Nigeria (KCCN) and South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has been an annual event for 12 years. It continues to strengthen the cultural connection between Nigeria and Korea.