hankyoreh

Hopes for peace and prosperity prevailed as South Koreans welcomed their new president into office Monday with the sound of traditional percussion music and hip hop dancing heating up the celebratory mood.

About 60,000 people took their seats at the outdoor square of the National Assembly well before the extravaganza kicked off at 10 a.m.

The hour-long preliminary event centered on a traditional idiomatic phrase "si-hwa-yeon-pung" meaning "peace of the nation and a good harvest for every year" in sync with President Lee Myung-bak's main pledge to boost the country's sagging economy, organizers said.

Popular comedians Kim Je-dong and Kim Hak-do hosted the event that started with a percussion performance by the Chae Hyang-sun Central Dance Troupe.

Jang Sa-ik, an iconic singer, offered his blend of Korea's traditional music and jazz, followed by B-boy hip hop dancing, which has become part of the country's performing arts.

Kim Jang-hoon, a pop singer famous for his donations to the underprivileged and volunteer work, sang "Our Happy Days" before a choir sang a new song composed for the inauguration ceremony, titled "Sihwayeonpung Arirang."

South Korea's swimming prodigy Park Tae-hwan and figure skating sensation Kim Yu-na attended the ceremony along with the bereaved families of Navy soldiers who died during a clash between the South and North Korean navies in the West Sea in 2002.


SEOUL, Feb. 25 (Yonhap)