▲ This photo of the Korean Culture Promotion Pavilion at "2026 Astana Comic Con" is provided by the Korean Cultural Center in Kazakhstan. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE)(Yonhap)

SEOUL, Aug. 11 (Yonhap) -- A wide range of Korean cultural content, including webtoons and K-pop, drew enthusiastic responses at "2026 Astana Comic Con," the largest pop culture festival in Central Asia.

The Korean Cultural Center in Kazakhstan, headed by Director Koo Bon-cheol, operated a Korean culture promotion pavilion at the event held Aug. 6-9 at Alau Ice Palace and Barys Arena in Astana, Kazakhstan, the center said Tuesday.

Astana Comic Con has been held annually since 2023, attracting about 75,000 visitors last year.

This year's Korean culture pavilion featured four themed zones: K-webtoons, traditional games, hanbok try-ons and K-culture quizzes. A "quest program" format was introduced, allowing visitors to move through each themed zone in sequence.

▲ This photo of the participants of the "2026 Astana Comic Con" is provided by the Korean Cultural Center in Kazakhstan. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE)(Yonhap)

A section introducing "The Best of Tomorrow," the original webtoon of the recently popular drama "Lovely Runner," also attracted attention. The cultural center distributed leaflets introducing the work and operated a photo zone featuring its main characters.

K-pop-related programs were also held.

In consultation with the Comic Con organizers, the cultural center designated Aug. 8, the third day of the event, as "Korea Day." J Kim, a choreographer formerly with the globally renowned dance crew 1MILLION, presented a K-pop master class and cover dance performance.

On Aug. 9, K-pop girl group CANDY'S, which appeared on Kazakhstan's popular TV show "Silk Way Star," held a special performance and fan-signing event.

"We confirmed the strong interest and enthusiastic response among young people here toward Korean popular culture, including webtoons and K-pop," Koo Bon-cheol said. "We hope popular culture exchanges between the two countries will expand further."

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