Korea expands ‘K-Culture’ festivals to cities without Korean cultural centers
In a move to broaden access to Korean culture globally, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has launched a series of Korean culture festivals in 52 cities and countries that currently lack Korean Cultural Centers.
The ministry aims to introduce Korean culture to a wider audience by working closely with local governments, Korean language departments at local universities, King Sejong Institutes and diplomatic missions.
The new initiative builds upon the existing “Traveling K-Culture” program, which previously operated in cities within countries that have Korean Cultural Centers, by expanding to countries without the centers. This year, the program will directly reach 33 cities and support comprehensive Korean culture festivals in 19 additional countries through collaborations with Korean diplomatic missions.
In Japan, the Korean Cultural Center in Tokyo will host the “Korean Culture Festival 2025” in Miyazaki prefecture in October. Performances will include local high school choirs singing “Arirang” and Korean children’s songs, followed by programs in traditional Korean music, classical music and taekwondo demonstrations.
Thailand hosted a “Korean Culture Bobusang” event in June at Khon Kaen University, where students wore traditional hanbok, sampled Korean food, and enjoyed cultural performances. Bobusang means “traveling merchants” in Korean.
Vietnam, where Korean is taught as a first foreign language, will see year-round festivals in regional cities like Da Nang and Hue, helping students deepen their understanding of Korean culture in partnership with local King Sejong Institutes.
In Indonesia, a collaborative event with a national university in Yogyakarta will showcase a blend of traditional and contemporary Korean performances in November.
In the United Kingdom, “Korea Day” events are taking place at leading universities in Manchester, Sheffield and Liverpool throughout the year. In Austria, the Korean Cultural Center will co-host the “Graz Korean Culture Festival” with the city of Graz in September, while in Mexico, a festival in Veracruz in July will introduce Korean culture beyond the capital region.
In the US, the Korean Cultural Center in Washington will partner with Olney Theater in Maryland to stage a play adaptation of the Canadian television sitcom “Kim’s Convenience” in June and July. The Los Angeles Korean Cultural Center will collaborate with Cupbop, a global food entertainment group, to co-host the “2025 Korean Festival” in Utah in September.
In Loja, Ecuador, “Ola Coreana en Loja” will take place in November, featuring Korean gugak, hanbok and Hangeul classes.
In Teme, Ghana, in August, a theatrical performance will be staged featuring a Ghanaian adaptation of the classic Korean novel “The Tale of Simcheong,” performed by Ghanaian actors, along with other events such as K-pop dancing by local performers.
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