Hungarian band plays in demilitarised zone in Korea

Mongooz and the Magnet, a band from Pécs, Hungary, performed at a festival in the demilitarised zone in Korea. The band recounted their experience at the festival on nobody’s land between the two Koreas, as well as the locals’ reaction to a Hungarian band performing not long after the boat accident in Budapest.

The DMZ Peace Train Festival was first organised last year in the demilitarised zone between North and South Korea. The festival’s motto is “Dancing for a Borderless World,” their goal is to achieve peace, and they believe it is important to raise awareness to how the majority of Korean citizens still live in an oppressing regime in 2019. Their other goal is to pass on the ideal of peace through music, as well as bringing the two countries together, reports Index.

The festival took place in Cheorwon, Kangwon, between June 7-9, and over the three days, they had almost 20,000 visitors. While last year, mostly Korean bands performed, and the special guest was the founder of Sex Pistols, Glen Matlock – who, by the way, only asked for a plane ticket as payment, – this year, they invited musicians from several countries, such as John Cale (Velvet Underground) from Wales, Little Big Bee from Japan, and Mongooz and The Magnet from Hungary.

The Hungarian band had already performed in Korea last year, at the showcase festival called Zandari Festa in Seoul, and they were invited to Peace Train after having been seen at the showcase festival, where they had performed in front of nearly 4,000 people. This, however, was not their only performance in Korea this year. Before the festival, they gave a club concert on June 7 in Seoul, then at the festival, and lastly, they returned to Seoul on June 10 for DMZ’s afterparty.