The Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. (KCCDC) proudly presents Us Within the World: TalkTalk Korea 2024 Award-Winning Works, a new exhibition of 80 selected multimedia entries from the annual global content contest representing creators from nearly 30 countries, on view January 3 – February 21, 2025. The dynamic exhibition kicks off with a public opening celebration featuring two content creators in person at the KCCDC on Friday, January 10 at 6:00 p.m., in addition to a special evening showing during the local community event ArtWalk Dupont on Friday, January 3 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

The Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. (KCCDC) and the Washington, D.C. Mayor’s Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs (MOAPIA) proudly presented Kimjang DC 2024: Making and Sharing Kimchi, a hands-on culinary event featuring Tae-Gu Kimchi, which invited the public to experience the flavors and community-building aspect of Korea’s most iconic food. The event was held at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, D.C., on November 22 at 6:00 p.m. Just in time for Kimchi Day on November 22, the evening included a kimchi-making demonstration, talk, and tasting with local chef Patrice Cunningham, who discussed her Korean heritage and the importance of foods like kimchi in her own identity while establishing her business, Tae-Gu Kimchi. Participants sampled a range of fermented flavors from Tae-Gu Kimchi and tried their hand at mixing their own kimchi to take home in a free communal workshop—a time-honored community-building tradition known as Kimjang. The KCCDC, MOAPIA, and Tae-Gu Kimchi aimed to activate the neighborly, service-minded spirit of this rich cultural tradition to bring together the vibrant, diverse communities of the Capital region. Through making and sharing kimchi, they fostered genuine cultural appreciation, strengthened community bonds, and united the DMV region in a spirit of gratitude.

The Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. (KCCDC) partnered with the Kennedy Center to present three performances by the acclaimed Korean company Laboratory Dance Project (LDP) on Oct. 31, Nov. 1, and Nov. 2 at 8:00 p.m. as part of the 2024–2025 Kennedy Center Dance Season. This three-night series highlighted the cutting edge of contemporary Korean dance with one of its most recognizable and exceptional talents, LDP, performing two of their signature high-energy works: Ash and MOB. This event provided an unforgettable opportunity to experience the vivacious, world-class quality of contemporary Korean performing arts in Washington, D.C.

The Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C., proudly co-presented the annual Chuseok Family Festival hosted by the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art (NMAA) on Saturday, September 21, with support from the National Museum of Korea. Visitors discovered and experienced this important cultural tradition through live performances, arts and craft workshops, a hanbok (한복) clothing try-on and photo zone, a traditional charye (차례) ancestral tribute display, Korean food talks and cooking demos, scavenger hunts, folk tale experiences, Korean-style food vendors, guided gallery talks and tours, programming from local community groups, and much more. The event featured a full schedule of performances and activities from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Chuseok (추석), also known as Hangawi (한가위) or simply Korean Thanksgiving, was one of Korea's most important and beloved holidays. For many Koreans, it was a time to journey home, reconnect with family and loved ones, and give thanks for life’s blessings. Chuseok traditionally fell on the day of the largest full moon according to the lunar calendar, signaling the end of the harvest season and a time to relax while thanking one’s ancestors for the season’s abundance.

The Korean National Ballet, alongside fellow world-class dancers from American Ballet Theater and The Washington Ballet, headlined a major performance event at The Kennedy Center hosted by the Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. on July 10, 2024. The spectacular show case of ballet elegance and Korea-US cultural exchange featured original performances and rare collaborations that thrilled a packed house of more than 1,100 special guests and members of the public in Washington, D.C.  This special event presented a curated selection of timeless classics and captivating contemporary works from the global ballet repertoire and feature esteemed principal dancers Hee Seo and Cory Stearns of the American Ballet Theatre and Eun Won Lee and Ariel Martinez of The Washington Ballet as special guests, symbolizing the enduring cultural bonds between two nations.  Each ensemble presented original and classical dance compositions, reflecting their distinctive styles and creative inspirations through a narrative of movement and personal reflection. The Korean National Ballet showcased the essence of classical ballet with performances of iconic works such as “Swan Lake” and “Le Corsaire,” alongside original ballet productions that draw inspiration from Korean culture. Eun Won Lee unveiled a compelling ballet piece entitled “Finding Light,” choreographed by the renowned Edwaard Liang, artistic director of The Washington Ballet. Meanwhile, Hee Seo captivated audiences with a performance of the Pas de Deux from “The Seasons: Summer,” choreographed by Alexei Ratmansky. This unique gala performance offered a rare glimpse into the trends and techniques of Korean and American ballet, fostering a platform for cultural and artistic exchange between the two nations through the medium of dance. See the original event announcement for more background information.