The Swedish Embassy here highlighted the Nordic country’s National Day this year with a pop performance by Swedish singer/songwriter Katie Goes To Tokyo, a.k.a. Kathrine Bergstrom, during a reception at a hotel in Seoul on Tuesday.

“Katie” then travels to Tokyo ― in fact on her first trip to the East Asian capital ― where she will perform at the National Day reception of the Swedish Embassy there on June 6.

Sweden has been celebrating its National Day on June 6 since 1916 where the tradition was inaugurated at Stockholm Olympic Stadium in honor of the 1523 election of King Gustov Vasa. The king’s election is considered the foundation of Sweden as a country.

The theme for this year’s reception here is “Carry Sweden With You.”

The reception also featured a fashion show organized by Ewha Womans University’s College of Arts and Design which Swedish Ambassador to Korea Lars Danielsson said “symbolizes the close cooperation that Sweden has with this great academic institution.”

Guests mingled while they sipped on cocktails made with Absolut vodka, Sweden’s signature brand alcohol.

Stockholm and Seoul established diplomatic relations for the first time in 1959.

By Philip Iglauer (ephilip2011@heraldcorp.com)