Calling all rising K-Pop stars! The Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. (KCCDC) is proud to announce the return of the 2021 Changwon K-Pop World Festival DC, our regional competition for this year’s Changwon K-Pop World Festival. This global competition aims to discover the next generation of K-Pop stars from around the world, offering slick prizes and a chance to compete on stage at the world finals in Korea!

Washington, D.C. Online Preliminary Key Dates 

Entries due: 5:00 PM (EST) on July 18, 2021

Results announced: July 22, 2021

Overview

Regional competitions for the 2021 Changwon K-Pop World Festival are being held worldwide this summer, and the finals are tentatively set to take place in October in Changwon, Korea. For the Washington, D.C. region, this online preliminary will accept entries until July 18, from which 4 artists or groups will be selected as finalists (results to be announced on July 22).

Regional finalists will then also be considered for the world finals in Korea, with their original regional competition video as their entry. Those who are then selected for the world finals will be invited to go to Korea and perform live in the fall. This year’s festival focusses on the performance category only, without a separate vocal category.

All information in this announcement is specific to the Washington, D.C. Online Preliminary (other regional preliminaries may differ).

How to Take Part

To compete in the 2021 Changwon K-Pop World Festival DC, contestants must meet the eligibility requirements below, complete the online application form, and submit any needed multimedia files with their application. Be sure to read all the details below before applying (scroll down to read more). This year, the Washington, D.C. regional competition is an online-only preliminary.

Once you're ready, complete the application form here.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants don’t need to have professional performance experience—just a passion for Korean pop music!

Because the Changwon K-Pop World Festival is intended to spotlight passion for K-Pop abroad and for learning the Korean language, those with Korean citizenship, or who have held Korean citizenship in the past, and those with at least one parent who has Korean citizenship or has held Korean citizenship in the past, are not eligible to compete.

Those in the U.S. on a short-term or tourism basis at the time of the audition are not eligible to compete. International students, non-U.S. citizens, and U.S. citizens are still eligible to apply, however, as long as they are currently living in the U.S., such as for school or another long-term purpose. Applicants do not need to be locals of the Washington, D.C. region to enter this regional preliminary competition.

Those who have already been awarded in another K-Pop World Festival regional competition in 2021 are not eligible to apply to the K-Pop World Festival DC competition.

Applicants found not to have adhered to these requirements at any point may be immediately disqualified.

Competition Categories & Criteria

Those taking part in the Changwon K-Pop World Festival DC can compete as a group (team) or as an individual in the one category featured this year:

Performance Category (primarily dance; singing is optional, or including a pre-recorded track is acceptable)

Requirements (two performances, either combined in one video or separate):

• 1.Any K-Pop dance cover (1 performance)

• 2.Any dance cover specifically for a BTS song (1 performance)

Judging criteria will be as follows:

Performance Category

- Choreography (composition and uniformity): 30%

- Expression: 40%

- Stage charisma: 30%

Judges

Judges for the Washington, D.C. Online Preliminary are currently being selected. Judges will be professional performers independent from the KCCDC.

 1. HYEJIN JOO (2018 K-POP Academy Instructor, JYJ Concert Tour, work with TVXQ, 2ne1, Block B, Jessie, NS Yoon G, Miss A, etc.)

 2. MI JANG (2019 K-POP Academy Instructor, Professor at Korea Broadcasting Art School, Trainer of Superstar K, Show Me the Money, Voice of Korea, Work with 2PM, VIXX, Momoland, Rain, etc.)

 3. TAEWOONG EOM (2017 K-POP Academy Instructor, Trainer of JYP, Work with YUGYEOM, TXT, IZONE, B1A4 etc.)

Winners & Prizes

1^st Place Trophy with prize (about $300)

 - Konnect DMV(IZ*ONE - Panorama, BTS - Butter)

2^nd Places(Tie) Trophy with prize (about $200)

 - GMU KDC Pantheon(TWICE - I Can't Stop Me, BTS - Ineed U)

 - Fingerheartz(STAYC - ASAP, BTS - ON)

3^rd Place Prize (about $150)

 - Aurora(ITZY - Wannabe & Mafia, BTS - FAKE LOVE)

Note: only four winners as outlined above will be considered for possible invitation to the world finals. The process of consideration for the world finals will be done separately by judges in Korea based on the original entry submission in this online preliminary.