Korean Night promoted better understanding of both traditional and modern Korean culture Monday at the Oklahoma Memorial Union.

“We’re basically trying to spread the Korean culture across the campus, and get to the general student body so they can learn more and appreciate the Korean culture more,” said Jason Kim, Korean Student Association vice president.

Performances included HwaKwanMu, a traditional Korean dance and a traditional Korean drum line.

The event also included a dance performance to a modern song.

Korean Night began with pizza for attendees and continued with performers dancing in traditional Korean attire. Young people presented the martial art Taekwondo and traditional Korean percussion songs.

The 50 or so performers and back-stage crew have been preparing for Korean Night for four months, said Kim, microbiology junior.

Misun No, pre-nursing junior, said she helped prepare the production of Korean Night.

“One of the missions of the Korean Student Association is to present Korean culture to everyone else,” she said.

Kim said he thinks many people in the U.S. may have misconceptions of Koreans.

“Some of them think Korea is still a rural county, we still do farming,” he said. “They still think we’re a third-world country.”

Though Korean Night had some traditional performances, it also presented the modern side of Korea, Kim said.

“I think through Korean Night they’re going to get a deeper understanding of our culture, modern culture, instead of the old, traditional culture,” he said.

Performers for Korean Night not only included students from OU, but also young students from the Korean Culture and Language School of Oklahoma in Del City, No said.

The funds raised from Korean Night will go towards funding other Korean Student Association programs and the next Korean Night, she said.

Pole Frazier, University College freshman, said he had no idea about what to expect when attending Korean Night.

Frazier said most people do not normally learn about Korean culture in America.

“My roommate is Korean,” he said. “That’s how I heard about Korean Night. So he’s been telling me a lot about the culture anyway.”