Lunar New Year is one of the most vibrant and joyous times to visit the London. As the world celebrates the New Year, one London suburb is bringing North Koreans and South Koreans closer together as they celebrate together.
Jung Hee Lee, co-organising the event alongside Mr. Yim, from the North Korean Residents’ Society in the UK, said that when North Koreans flee to South Korea, they often leave behind siblings.
Many elderly North Koreans living in the New Malden area are left alone as their children have grown and left home, Jung Lee said. The families feasted on a traditional Korean soup dish called Seollal, which is a traditional Lunar New Year dish in South Korea. It’s made using thin-cut rice cakes and a broth. Celebrating the New Year with family, playing games and paying tribute to ancestors is a key part of the Korean Lunar New Year celebrations.