Major cultural events & must-see programs from the Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. in the new year

WHAT: Performing arts, exhibition, pop culture, and community outreach events

WHO: World-class Korean art, artists, and performers

WHEN: Events throughout 2022

WHERE: Major venues across Washington, D.C.

HOW: To stay informed of upcoming events as details are announced throughout the year, visit the KCCDC website, join the e-mailing list, or follow the KCCDC on social media (@KoreaCultureDC).

The Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. (KCCDC) is proud to announce its schedule of major cultural events in 2022 among more than 40 programs planned for the year overall, spanning performing arts, exhibitions, pop culture, and community outreach, all tied together by the theme of “Get TOGETHER with Korean Culture.”

The upcoming schedule includes five headline events: REACH Winter Lantern PLUS: Korea, a special celebration of Korean popular and traditional culture at the Kennedy Center Feb. 3-6 followed by a Hanbok + K-Pop fashion event Feb. 22 – March 25, a Culture & Technology Special Exhibition exploring the intersection of pop culture and tech in May, the special exhibition Once Upon a Roof: Vanished Korean Architecture at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art in partnership with the National Museum of Korea, May through October, Korean Culture Week in October, and the exhibition Korean Art Masters in August and November through December.

“We planned these cultural events to make 2022 more delightful after enduring the hard times of the pandemic together,” said KCCDC Director Junghoon Kim. “Especially as this year marks the 140th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the Republic of Korea and the United States, our center has put a lot of effort into creating meaningful programs for the public.”

KCCDC-hosted events are generally free and open to the public. Reservations are generally required, and events will be announced in advance with full details as they approach. To stay informed of upcoming events, visit the KCCDC website at washingtondc.korean-culture.org, join the e-mailing list, or follow the KCCDC on social media.

Must-Visit KCCDC Cultural Events in 2022

Korean Culture Week

October 2022

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and other venues

Korean Culture Week is designed to showcase Korea’s rich cultural diversity, both traditional and contemporary across a range of genres, with multiple events open to the public. This event also celebrates the 140th anniversary of diplomatic ties between South Korea and the United States in 2022, and will welcome the renowned Korea National Contemporary Dance Company to Washington, D.C. Other highlights include A Night of Korean Film, offering a talk with a visiting director, and a Hanji & Hanbok Fashion Show, exploring the creative synergy of Korean traditional paper and clothing crafts, hosted in partnership with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art and the Hanji Development Institute in Korea. A performance by the world-class Kukkiwon World Taekwondo Headquarters team rounds out the program, celebrating Korea’s National Foundation Day holiday on October 3, as well as additional traditional cultural activities and experiences to be announced.

Korea: Cubically Imagined (Culture & Technology Special Exhibition)

May 2022

Venue to be announced

Korea: Cubically Imagined will explore the intersection of pop culture and technology, allowing visitors to experience recent milestone Korean pop culture phenomena such as the 2019 film Parasite and K-Pop sensation BTS through the use of VR, AR, projection mapping, and other immersive new forms of multimedia. Presented in France, Hong Kong, and Russia to rave reviews, this special exhibition co-organized by Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Creative Content Agency aims to share imaginative Korean cultural content with international citizens in new ways.

Once Upon a Roof: Vanished Korean Architecture 

May – October 2022

The Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art and the National Museum of Korea will host Once Upon a Roof: Vanished Korean Architecture, a landmark exhibition on the historic architecture of ancient Korea examined through roof tiles unearthed from the sites of vanished Buddhist temples and palace halls. The exhibition, made possible with support from Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, will feature more than 20 ornamental roof tiles known as chimi, including ornate patterned bricks and rafter edges which once adorned buildings of Korea’s ancient Unified Silla kingdom. During the exhibition, a public symposium with curators of Korea collections at major U.S. museums will also be held to further explore Korean artifacts and their stories.

Korean Art Masters

June, November – December

Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. and other venues

Co-hosted by the KCCDC and the National Academy of Arts of the Republic of Korea, this special exhibition will present a wide scope of Korean modern art works (Nov. – Dec.). In addition, the K-Classic: Korean Classical Music Masters Series featuring U.S.-based Korean musicians will expand the scope of Hallyu, or Korean pop culture, into the realm of fine arts.

REACH Winter Lanterns PLUS: Korea

February 3-6, 2022

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

Hanbok Wave

February 22 – March 25, 2022

Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C.

The KCCDC in partnership with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts presents REACH Winter Lanterns PLUS: Korea, Feb. 3-6, which opens with Sound of Korean Soul on Feb. 3, a live performance featuring fusion music group G-Hwaja and dance troupe I LOVE DANCE. This four-day event also offers visitors a spectacular Hanbok fashion exhibition, cultural take-home activity kits, and Lunar New Year’s wish cards to write and hang on the community arch, among other daily events. The follow-on exhibition Hanbok Wave, co-organized with the Korea Craft & Arts Design Foundation, will be held Feb. 22 – March 25 at the KCCDC, exhibiting new creative approaches to the traditional Korean hanbok clothing.

Schedule of KCCDC Cultural Events in 2022, by Genre

Programs and details are subject to change.

Exhibitions

• K-Art Gallery regular exhibitions (periodic throughout 2022; five exhibitions at the KCCDC)

• Hanbok Wave (Feb. 22 – March 25; at the KCCDC)

• Exhibition of Works by Tschang-yeul Kim and Seo-bo Park (August; at the KCCDC)

• Special Event of Korean Fashion Exhibition, ‘Celebration of Textiles: Korea’ (September; co-hosted at The George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum)

• Hanji & Hanbok Fashion Show (October; hosted by the KCCDC, Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art and the Hanji Development Institute in Korea)

• Korean artists presented in local DC art festivals & Korean Artists Special Exhibition (periodic throughout 2022; events include Georgetown GLOW, Art All Night, and Sound Scene)

• Korean Art Masters (November – December; at the KCCDC)

Performing Arts

• Sound of Korean Soul (Feb. 3; part of REACH Winter Lanterns PLUS: Korea at the Kennedy Center)

• OnStage Korea (December; regular performing arts series at DC area venues)

• Performance by the Korea National Contemporary Dance Company (November; at the Kennedy Center)

• K-Classic: Korean Classical Music Masters Series (June; at DC area venues)

Hallyu & Popular Culture

• Korean Film Festival DC (May; hosted by the Smithsonian Institution)

• EuroAsia Shorts (May – June; co-hosted by DC embassies and cultural centers)

• Korea: Cubically Imagined (May; Technology and Culture Special Exhibition)

• K-Pop Academy DC (July – August; online & offline training program for Korean pop culture fans)

• All About That Hallyu (September; Korean pop culture community event)

• K-Cinema: A Night of Korean Film (October)

• A Night of Korean Literature (October)

Outreach & Community Programs

• Embassy Adoption Program (spring and fall; in partnership with DC Public Schools)

• Korean Language and Culture Classes (year-round; presented in partnership with the King Sejong Institute Washington, D.C.)

• Befriend Korea Program (year-round; educational presentations and cultural activities for groups)

Details of the events included in this schedule may change throughout the year. Track updates and announcements via the KCCDC website, social media (@KoreaCultureDC), and the KCCDC e-mail newsletter.