Join us at the Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. for an exciting roundtable featuring experts and readers to exploring the works of Korean author and Nobel Prize in Literature winner Han Kang, coordinated in partnership with George Mason University Assistant Professor Hyun Seon Park!   Through expert analysis and reader testimonials, this event will introduce the celebrated works of the author, explore Kang’s key themes and inspirations, unpack the impact of her career culminating in the Nobel Prize win in 2024, and offer a bird’s eye view of Korean literature on the rise globally.   A key aspect of Korean culture’s popularity globally has always been the passion of its fans. In recognition if this, the program will open with a Readers Roundtable of short personal accounts, reviews, and stories from everyday readers whose lives have been impacted by Han Kang’s novels. Fans of her work are invited to apply to take part in this portion of the program (link below), either live in person or through a video entry.   Following the Readers Roundtable, cultural and literary experts from George Mason University and the George Washington University will discuss the complex contextual aspects of Kang’s works. This Experts Roundtable will explore how modern life and societal challenges in Korea have influenced the author and vice versa, as the intense spotlight of a Nobel Prize in Literature attention comes to Korea for the first time in history.   A light reception in celebration of Han Kang’s historic Nobel Prize win will follow the program. Translated editions of Han Kang’s books will be available for reading on site at the Korean Cultural Center in Washington, D.C. during the event (limited quantities). Sharing Stories: A Readers and Experts Roundtable on Nobel Laureate Han Kang February 27, 2025 | 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM The Korean Cultural Center in Washington, D.C. 2370 Massachusetts Ave. NW Washington, D.C. 20008 Inquiries: KCCDC yeong0@mofa.or.kr  / 202-939-5685  RSVP FOR THIS EVENT! Session I: Readers Roundtable   Readers who are selected to participate in this portion of the program will be invited to share their experience reading a favorite work by Han Kang, such as a review or analysis, testimonial of the work’s impact, or other personal experience. To apply, complete the form below to share a brief summary of your experience or planned presentation, which can be expanded for the actual event. All applicants featured at the event will receive a Korean-themed craft kit as thank-you-gift. APPLY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE READERS ROUNDTABLE! Apply by Wednesday, February 19 for the best chance to participate! Session II: Experts Roundtable Three Korean literature experts will lead a roundtable discussion on a variety of topics. Additionally, participants will have the opportunity to engage in an open discussion and share their thoughts on Han Kang's works. Hyun Seon Park, Assistant Professor of Modern and Classical Languages, George Mason University Immanuel Kim, Associate Professor of Korean Literature and Culture Studies, The George Washington University Young A Jung, Assistant Professor of Modern and Classical Languages, George Mason University Excerpt from Human Acts   ‘Looks like rain,’ you mutter to yourself. What’ll we do if it really chucks it down?   You open your eyes so that only a slender chink of light seeps in, and peer at the gingko trees in front of the Provincial Office. As though there, between those branches, the wind is about to take on visible form. As though the raindrops suspended in the air, held breath before the plunge, are on the cusp of trembling down, glittering like jewels.   When you open your eyes properly, the trees’ outlines dim and blur. You’re going to need glasses before long. This thought gets briefly disturbed by the whooping and applause which breaks out from the direction of the fountain. Perhaps your sight’s as bad now as it’s going to get, and you’ll be able to get away without glasses after all?   ‘Listen to me if you know what’s good for you: come back home, right this minute.’ About Han Kang  Korean author Han Kang was awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in literature for her intensely humane and poetic body of work. Han, 53, made her prose debut in 1993, and went on to international acclaim with her books including The Vegetarian, which won the Man Booker International Prize in 2016. She is the first author from the Republic of Korea to win the literature award and only the 18th woman to win. 

Join us for a conversation and dance demonstration with fourth-generation Korean American artist, cultural figure, choreographer, and celebrated Washingtonian Dana Tai Soon Burgess.   The program will explore Burgess’s personal story through his 2022 memoir, Chino and the Dance of the Butterfly, and his distinctive modern dance aesthetic, which is deeply informed by his Korean American identity. Three live dance performance excerpts will be interspersed throughout the program, highlighting both Korean and Korean American perspectives. The discussion will explore the behind-the-scenes stories of how these dance works – Leaving Pusan (2002), Becoming American (2011), and Hyphen (2008) – were created.   Gain a deeper understanding of the joys and struggles of life as an Asian American in the U.S. and delve into the complex influences that shaped this artist.   Korean American Journeys: A Conversation with Choreographer Dana Tai Soon Burgess Thursday, November 21, 2024, at 7:00 PM Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. Light snack reception provided at the event.     RSVP FOR THIS EVENT!   Performance Excerpts   Leaving Pusan (2002) “Leaving Pusan” is based on my grandmother’s emotional and physical departure from Korea in 1903. She voyaged to Oahu, Hawaii where she would work on the Del Monte plantation her entire life.  Dana Tai Soon Burgess   Becoming American (2011) “Becoming American” is based on the real life story of Katia Norri, a dancer with DTSBDC who was adopted from Korea by an American couple in New Jersey. The work delves into her journey to understand her new home.   Dana Tai Soon Burgess Hyphen (2008) “Hyphen” represents the turbulent struggle that Asian Americans feel as they solidify their identity in the American cultural tapestry. Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dana Tai Soon Burgess | Artistic Director at Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company Dana Tai Soon Burgess is a leading American choreographer, dancer, and cultural figure known worldwide as the “Diplomat of Dance.” In 1992, he founded the Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company (DTSBDC), a preeminent modern dance company based in Washington, D.C. As the Company’s artistic director, his work explores the idea of cultural “confluence” with many of his dances focusing on the “hyphenated person” – someone who is of mixed ethnic or cultural heritage – and the emotions of belonging and societal acceptance. He has served as a Cultural Ambassador for the U.S. State Department for over two decades, an appointment he uses to promote international cultural dialogue through “the global language of dance.” He has been awarded three Fulbright Senior scholarships for dance. He has also recently received two prestigious awards – the Selma Jeanne Cohen Dance Lecture Award and the Aaron Stein Memorial Award. In 2016, Burgess was named the Smithsonian Institution’s first-ever Choreographer-in-Residence. From 2016-2023 he created new works inspired by museum exhibitions, participated in public discussions about dance and art and designed educational programming. The exploration of dance and art is deeply rooted for Burgess. The son of two visual artists he has always approached the stage as a canvas, and the dancers as brush strokes. In 2003, Burgess was one of only three artists featured in the Smithsonian Institution’s “A Korean American Century” – an exhibition highlighting the history and achievements of Korean Americans in the US. “Dancing the Dream,” marked the Smithsonian’s first exhibition on American dance during this centennial celebration as well. Three portraits of Burgess are part of the permanent collection of the Smithsonian  and his family archives reside in the American History Museum. He has created works for The National Gallery of Art, The Noguchi Museum, The National Museum of Asian Art, The National Building Museum, The Kreeger Museum, The Baltimore Museum of Art, and The UNM Art Museum to name a few. Burgess and the Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company have received numerous awards and acclamations including the Outstanding Emerging Artist at the 12th Annual Mayor Arts Award (1994), the Mayor’s Arts Award for Excellence (2005), seven Metro D.C. Dance Awards, as well as the Pola Nirenska Award which celebrates trailblazers and leaders of the dance community. Burgess received the Paul Ré Peace Prize by the University of New Mexico Foundation for bridging communities around the globe through choreography. Burgess is the author of Chino and the Dance of the Butterfly: A Memoir by University of New Mexico Press and the editor of and contributor to Milestones in Dance History by Routledge/Francis&Taylor. He is also the host of Slantpodcast.com which focuses on the Asian American arts experience. photo credit: Sueraya Shaheen Julie Park, PhD | Associate Professor of Sociology and the Asian American Studies Program, University of Maryland Julie Park is Associate Professor of Sociology and the Asian American Studies Program at the University of Maryland (UMD). She currently serves as Associate Chair in Sociology and previously served as the Director of Asian American Studies from 2017 to 2022. She is on the Faculty Council of the UMD Center for Global Migration Studies and the Executive Committee of the Maryland Population Research Center (MPRC). Prior to joining the Maryland faculty in 2008, she was a research assistant professor in the School of Policy, Planning, and Development and the associate director of the Population Dynamics Research Group at the University of Southern California. She received her Ph.D. (2003) and M.A. (2001) in sociology as well as a Masters in Urban Planning (1998) from the University of Southern California. She received her B.A. in sociology at the University of California, Davis. Professor Park's research focuses most broadly on the adaptation process of immigrants in the United States which includes the areas of immigration, demography, race/ethnicity, gender, and urban studies. Specifically, she examines how immigrants improve their socioeconomic status with longer duration in the U.S. She also utilizes an innovative cohort method to assess intergenerational mobility across immigrant generations that she co-developed. Second, she considers how residential segregation changes in new and established immigrant gateways. Lastly, she assesses the health and health care access assimilation process of immigrants. Her work has been published in Demography, International Migration Review, American Journal of Public Health, Social Science Research, and Social Science and Medicine. Professor Park currently teaches courses on immigration, Asian Americans Studies, and social demography. In recognition of her teaching, she received the Excellence in Teaching Award (College of Behavioral and Social Sciences) and the Donna B. Hamilton Award for Teaching Excellence (Undergraduate Studies).

Join us for a discussion and close reading of author Cho Nam-joo's influential bestselling novel Kim Ji-young, Born 1982 (82년생 김지영) with Professor Immanuel Kim of the George Washington University, at the KCCDC on Thursday, Oct. 31 (in English) and again on Thursday, Nov. 7 (in Korean)! The recent Nobel Prize in Literature awarded to Korean author Han Kang has supercharged global interest in novels and creative writing from South Korea. Luckily for readers, modern Korean literature boasts a plethora of acclaimed and international bestsellers, many of which have been translated into film and television. One of the most noteworthy works in recent years has been Cho Nam-joo’s debut 2016 novel Kim Ji-young, Born 1982. This powerful narrative reflection on the experiences of women in contemporary Korean society has been hailed as both universal and a window on the modern Korea. It explores themes of identity, gender roles, and societal expectations as it tells the story of the title character, a stay-at-home-mother dealing with parenting, depression, and sexism in her daily life. Cho’s novel was extremely influential in Korea and abroad for its depiction of a female generation’s quintessential challenges, and inspired the hit 2019 K-Drama of the same name starring actors Jung Yu-mi and Gong Yoo. Bibliophiles, Korean culture fans, and Korean language learners alike are invited to dive into a new world of Korean literature with this powerful narrative reflection on the experiences of women in contemporary Korean society. In an intimate setting, participants will have the chance to read selected passages from the novel, led and introduced by literature and culture studies professor Immanuel Kim of the George Washington University. Kim’s expertise will guide the conversations and broaden participants understanding of the underlying issues and Korean society in general. Participants will also be invited to share their insights through thoughtful discussions that highlight the rich tapestry of Korean language and literature. The Oct. 31 event (1-3 p.m.) will be conducted primarily in English and will utilize the English translation of the novel, while the Nov. 7 event (1-3 p.m.) will be conducted primarily in Korean utilizing the original Korean text, suitable for Korean native speakers and intermediate/Advanced learners of Korean. Readings and discussion on both dates will be led by expert Immanuel Kim, Department Chair of the Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures and The Korea Foundation and Kim-Renaud Associate Professor of Korean Literature and Culture Studies at the George Washington University. Participants are welcome to attend one or both events for the full experience! Each event includes a raffle for 5 copies of “Precious Things We Meet at the Museum," an exquisite advanced coloring book featuring playful twists on the collections of the National Museum of Korea. RSVP required below. Light refreshments will be served. Avid readers and those new to Korean literature are welcome! Bring an open mind as we navigate the complexities of modern life through the lens of Kim Ji-young’s story. As the Korean saying going, 가을은 독서의 계절 – fall is the season for literature! Language, Culture, & Society: A Close Reading of Cho Nam-joo's Novel, "Kim Ji-young, Born 1982” with Professor Immanuel Kim Thursday, Oct. 31, 1-3 PM (in ENGLISH/영어) Thursday, Nov. 7, 1-3 PM (in KOREAN/한국어) Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C.  Seating is limited. Advance registration is required.  RSVP FOR THIS EVENT! Above, from top: trailer for the drama Kim Ji-young, Born 1982 based on the novel of the same name, and a montage of international covers for the novel (image credit: Korea Herald).

  The Smithsonian National Museum of Art and the Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. invite you to experience the intricacy and artistry of traditional Korean Maedeup, decorative knot crafts used as fashion accessories or home decor, in two free workshops with artist Karen Ahn!   Attendees will be introduced to the art of Maedeup (매듭), a traditional knotting craft with more than 3000 years of history. These braided cords, often woven together with precious stones, gold, or silver, are typically attached to clothing or accessories, or displayed as a part of home décor. While the demand for Maedeup ornaments declined towards the end of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), a resurgence of interest in the practice during the 1960s has produced new forms and engaged audiences worldwide. Participants will take part in this craft revival by learning two of the 38 classic Maedeup knots and use them to produce a complete piece of jewelry.   Karen Kyungwon Ahn (b. 1958, Seoul) works primarily in Maedeup, a traditional Korean knotting art. Ahn began studying Maedeup as a hobby in college and has continued refining her craft over several decade, leading workshops at the Korean Cultural Center New York, the Korea Society, Wave Hill, Stonybrook University, Flushing Town Hall (Queens, New York), and the Philadelphia Museum. Ahn studied design at Sungkyunkwan University for her Bachelor’s before graduating with an MFA in Package Design from Pratt Institute.   To learn more about the art and craft of Maedeup, check out these articles in Korea Magazine and on Korea.net.   This event hosted by the Smithsonian National Museum of Art (NMAA) is co-presented with the Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. Seating is limited and advance registration is required.   Making Maedeup: Decorative Korean Knotting Workshop with Karen Ahn Location: National Museum of Asian Art, East Building (Arther M. Sackler Gallery), B1 Gallery 27 Workshops:  ●Thursday, Oct. 24, 1-5 p.m. (Necklace) ●Friday, Oct. 25, 1-5 p.m. (Brooch) RSVP via the NMAA website here!