The Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. (KCCDC) and the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art (NMAA) invited guests to a series of hands-on workshops exploring traditional Korean crafts and cultural practices, presented in partnership with the National Folk Museum of Korea (NFMK). Led by Youngjae Kim, former Senior Curator at the National Folk Museum of Korea, each session offered a unique opportunity to learn about Korean traditions while handling or creating your own handcrafted items including the daenggi (댕기) decorative hair ribbon, jangmyeongru (장명루) five-colored longevity bracelet, and bojagi (보자기) wrapping cloth. Participants explored traditional materials, embedded symbolism, and crafting techniques through engaging, hands-on activities. This program is supported by and presented in cooperation with the National Folk Museum of Korea.  

Visitors experienced two curator video lectures on the evolution of Korean contemporary art courtesy of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA) at the KCCDC on May 22 and 29. The videos explored how Korean art developed in the 20th century to become one of the world’s hottest art scenes today. Inside Korean Art highlighted key examples from current MMCA exhibitions in Korea and features MMCA experts as they outline major trends and changes in the past century of Korean art, from the early twentieth century to the postwar emergence of abstraction and experimental art. Also join an in-person introduction and Q&A with the KCCDC’s own art curator while browsing the contemporary art exhibition Connecting Lines after the screenings. Presented here for the first time with full English subtitles, the talks provide valuable context for all Korean art. 

The Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. (KCCDC), in collaboration with the Asian Arts & Culture Center (AA&CC) at Towson University and the Central Baltimore Partnership (CBP), hosted the “K-Movie Screening at Asia North” event on May 19, 2026 followed by a K-Food Experience: The Art of Kimbap on Friday, May 29.  Organized in connection with the 2026 Asia North exhibition theme, “hospitality,” the event featured a screening of the Korean film Our Season to promote greater understanding of Korean culture, particularly the meaning of family and the value of hospitality in Korean society. The program was presented for college students and local residents in the Baltimore area. Special guest chef and restaurateur Des So also shared stories about Korean cuisine and his journey building Korean food businesses in the DC area before enjoy a live kimbap-making demonstration and tasting experience.

The Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. (KCCDC) presented A Window into K-Culture: Focus on Korean Literature, a special two-day event organized in collaboration with the National Museum of Korean Literature (NMKL) as part of the global Touring K-Arts program supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Foundation for International Cultural Exchange (KOFICE).

Thank you to everyone who joined us for Passport DC: Around the World Embassy Tour 2026 at the Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C.! We were thrilled to welcome our visitors for a full day of K-culture—from traditional performances and K-pop dance workshops to hands-on crafts, exhibitions, and our 𝘒-𝘗𝘰𝘱 𝘋𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘯 𝘏𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴-themed experiences. Your energy and enthusiasm made the day truly unforgettable. We hope you enjoyed celebrating Korean culture with us—and we look forward to seeing you again soon!