E-Paper
Exclusive | K-pop star Aoora on meeting South Korean President in Rashtrapati Bhavan: ‘I greeted him in Hindi’
K-pop artist and Bigg Boss star Aoora shares his experience of attending a banquet at Rashtrapati Bhavan, hosted for South Korean President Lee Jae-myung
On April 20, K-pop star Aoora joined South Korean President Lee Jae-myung at the Rashtrapati Bhavan for a state banquet hosted in latter’s honour by Indian President Droupadi Murmu. It was a grand event, and served as a part of the South Korean President and First Lady Kim Hea-kyung's three-day state visit to India to strengthen bilateral ties. Describing his meeting with the foreign leader, Korean artist Aoora shares, “It was a deeply meaningful and humbling experience for me. Meeting President Lee Jae-myung wasn’t just a personal milestone — it felt like recognition of the journey I’ve been on as an artist trying to build a cultural bridge between countries.”
Aoora goes on to add, “For me, music has always been about connecting people beyond language, and being in that space made me realize that these efforts are being seen and valued at a much higher level. Even though the interaction was brief, it carried a lot of significance. It gave me a strong sense of responsibility and also motivation to continue doing this work in a more meaningful way. We had a brief light hearted and warm moment where I greeted him in Hindi and he responded back warmly.” Speaking of the event, the former member of K-pop group AA reveals, “The banquet was grand and conducted with a very high level of protocol. It was truly a state-level event. What made the evening special for me was how it felt like a moment of validation for the efforts I’ve been making to connect Korea and India through music.”
Post the event, guest and MP Shashi Tharoor shared a picture with Aoora forming a heart with their hands. Talking about his interaction with the leader, Aoora says, “He’s incredibly knowledgeable and articulate, so it was an honor to meet him . Even a short exchange with someone like him is quite inspiring. We met post the banquet and clicked a few pictures together. He was extremely warm and I am so touched that he remembered and posted about our brief interaction.”
Back in 2023, Aoora had taken the internet by storm when he entered Salman Khan’s reality show Bigg Boss 17. When asked if he would ever contemplate returning to the BB house, the K-pop artist says, “Bigg Boss was definitely a unique and challenging experience for me. It pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me connect with a much wider audience in India. I’m very grateful for that. As for returning — I would say never say never. If there’s something new and meaningful I can bring to the show, I would definitely consider it. But right now my focus is music.”
