Discover Korea through its stories! As Korean novels attract newfound popular interest and critical acclaim worldwide, the KCCDC is launching the K-Literature Book Club: Stories of Korea to help introduce influential works in this important genre of culture.   This spring in April and May, we invite you to read and discuss three contemporary Korean literary works by celebrated authors like Nobel Laureate Han Kang and Kyung-sook Shin that explore themes of empathy, family, identity, loss, and social change in Korean society. Readers can exchange ideas and questions at each meeting while KCCDC staff will help guide casual conversations about the characters and stories in these books, providing deeper insight into Korean society and culture.   Participants are also eligible to receive a free English-language copy of the book in advance! Anyone can sign up for one, two, or all three club meetings, but please note that preference may be given to those not signed up for multiple sessions to allow greater overall participation. Selected participants will receive a final confirmation email after the sign-up period. Complimentary books must be picked up at the KCCDC in person (details below). All meetings will be in person at the KCCDC (no virtual option), and there will be one club meeting per book. Space is limited and participation is first come, first served, so secure your spot!   Already read the book? Great! You’re all set, and can simply sign up to join the club meeting for that book to learn, share, and get the most our of these amazing works of fiction. K-Literature Book Club: Stories of Korea Korean Cultural Center Washington, DC Various dates, April – May 2026   Sign up Period: March 11 – 18, 2026 Book Pick-Up Dates: March 23 – 27, 2026 Questions? Email us at culturedc@mofa.or.kr for assistance regarding this program.    Please note: preference may be given to those not signed up for multiple sessions to allow greater overall participation. Selected participants will receive a final confirmation email after the sign-up period. If you would like to be sure to join a certain session, please complete the sign-up form for that book first, and then other sessions.    Featured Books & Meeting Dates:   Please Look After Mom by Kyung-sook Shin (winner of the Man Asian Literary Prize) Monday, April 27, 6:00 PM   Almond by Won-pyung Sohn Wednesday, May 13, 6:00 PM   The White Book by Han Kang (Nobel Prize in Literature recipient) Thursday, May 21, 6:00 PM   For more on each featured book, see below. All club meeting take place at the KCCDC in person (no virtual option) and will be conducted primarily in English in a casual sharing and guided conversation format. Light refreshments will be provided at each meeting. Please be sure that you can attend the in person book club session on the above date before signing up!    UPDATE: REGISTRATION IS FULL. JOIN THE WAITLIST! Thank you for your interest in this program! All original sessions have reached maximum capacity and are currently not accepting registration, but those who are interested are invited to join a WAITLIST for possible openings, new sessions, or future K-Literature and book club events. Thank you for you understanding and continued support!      Please Look After Mom Kyung-sook Shin   When sixty-nine-year-old So-nyo is separated from her husband among the crowds of the Seoul subway station, her family begins a desperate search to find her. Yet as long-held secrets and private sorrows begin to reveal themselves, they are forced to wonder: how well did they actually know the woman they called Mom? Photo © Lee Byungryul Kyung-Sook Shin is the author of numerous works of fiction and is one of South Korea’s most widely read and acclaimed novelists. She was the first woman to be awarded the Man Asian Literary Prize (for Please Look After Mom), and she has also been honored with the Manhae Literature Prize, the Dong-in Literature Prize, and the Yi Sang Literary Prize, as well as France’s Pirx de l’Inapercu. Please Look After Mom was her first book to appear in English and has been published in twenty-nine countries with over 2 million copies sold in South Korea alone.   Almond Won-pyung Sohn   This story is, in short, about a monster meeting another monster. One of the monsters is me.   Yunjae was born with a brain condition called Alexithymia that makes it hard for him to feel emotions like fear or anger. He does not have friends—the two almond-shaped neurons located deep in his brain have seen to that—but his devoted mother and grandmother provide him with a safe and content life. Their little home above his mother’s used bookstore is decorated with colorful Post-it notes that remind him when to smile, when to say "thank you," and when to laugh. Then a shocking act of random violence shatters his world, leaving him alone and on his own. Struggling to cope with his loss, Yunjae retreats into silent isolation, until troubled teenager Gon arrives at his school, and they develop a surprising, unlikely friendship. When Gon suddenly finds his life at risk, Yunjae will have the chance to step outside of every comfort zone he has created to perhaps become the hero he never thought he would be.   Translated by Sandy Joosun Lee.   Photo © Channel Yes Won-pyung Sohn is a film director, screenwriter, and novelist living in South Korea. She earned a BA in social studies and philosophy at Sogang University and film directing at the Korean Academy of Film Arts. She has won several prizes, including the Film Review Award of the 6th Cine21, and the Science Fantasy Writers’ Award for her movie script. She also wrote and directed a number of short films and made her feature film directorial debut with Intruder. She made her literary debut in 2016 with Almond, her first full-length novel, which won the Changbi Prize for Young Adult Fiction. Released the following year, Counterattacks at Thirty received the Jeju 4.3 Peace Literary Prize and the 2022 Japanese Booksellers' Award.   The White Book  Han Kang, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature   Shortlisted for the International Booker Prize, Han Kang’s The White Book is a meditation on color, as well as an attempt to make sense of her older sister’s death, who died in her mother’s arms just a few hours after she was born. In captivating, starkly beautiful language, The White Book is a letter from Kang to her sister, offering a multilayered exploration of color and its absence, and of the tenacity and fragility of the human spirit.   Translated by Deborah Smith. Photo © Paik Dahuim Han Kang was born in 1970 in South Korea. She is the author of The Vegetarian, winner of the International Booker Prize, as well as Human Acts, The White Book, Greek Lessons, Light and Thread, and We Do Not Part. In 2024, she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. According to the Swedish Academy, Han was selected for the prestigious prize—the first to a Korean author—for her "intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life."

The Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. (KCCDC) presents Transcending Boundaries: Discovering Contemporary Korean Artists, a new exhibition of 50 sensuous works spanning painting, sculpture, installation, and holograms that explore a new collective understanding of materiality, reality, and human emotion.   Works by Sung Jin Min, Hwang Nam Kyu, Kim Min Jeong, Park Jae Young, Shin So Young, and Kim Jung Wuk each stem from the artists’ personal experiences yet employ a diverse array of methods and materials to express emotion and memory, often within each piece.   By emphasizing the qualities inherent to each medium, such as paint texture, subtle hues and light effects, perception of space, or the surface of sculpture, the artists encourage viewers to experience the artwork through their senses rather than fixed or preconceived interpretations. Such a sensory reading—layered on top of subtle cultural cues and rich symbolism in the subject matter of each piece—opens the door to new ways of both communicating and perceiving personally expressive works of art.   Through this diverse collection of creative and self-reflective works, visitors can also transcend cultural boundaries to gain a deeper understanding of Korean life and emotions through the artistic lens of these six emerging artists.   Transcending Boundaries goes on view March 5 through April 10, 2026 at the KCCDC and launches with a public opening reception on Thursday, March 5, 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. (RSVP required). Attendees at the opening will be among the first to view the exhibition and enjoy a light Korean refreshments.   Transcending Boundaries: Discovering Contemporary Korean Artists Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. Exhibition: March 5 - April 10, 2026 Opening Reception: Thursday, March 5, 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. (RSVP required) OPENING RECEPTION RSVP COMING SOON!  About the Exhibition   Transcending Boundaries is presented in three thematic sections that reflect diverse perspectives on each artist’s subjective inner world, as well as the relationship between material and immaterial aspects of both their artistic medium and underlying emotions.   Gallery 1 introduces three artists whose practices are shaped by inner psychological states. Sung Jin Min’s paintings capture life’s fleeting moments in time, translated into abstract static forms on canvas. Hwang Nam Kyu explores the materiality of his medium through glistening sculptural works created by repeatedly rubbing the surface by hand. Kim Min Jeong expresses emotion through painting, presenting works that evoke sensations preserved in the artist’s memory.   Gallery 2 focuses on works that emphasize painterly qualities and vivid color. Park Jae Young presents synesthetic paintings that engage both visual and tactile perception, while Shin So Young’s paintings explore the depths of human emotion and interpersonal relationships.   Gallery 3 presents artworks centered on the imperfect relationship between reality and perception. This gallery features newly produced hologram and light-based works by Kim Jung Wuk, in which visual elements seem to appear and disappear, creating an immersive spatial experience. About the Artists (additional details below) Sung Jin Min records the flow of time. On the canvas, multiple layers of color are repeatedly applied, representing different states of time. By capturing such moments, as perceived by the artist, the works visually express a sense of temporal continuity. Hwang Nam Kyu explores the materiality of material. His sculptures are completed through the repetitive act of rubbing the surface by hand, a physical process that resonates with the healing of wounds. He begins his practice with the concept of “skinship,” refining imperfect materials and transforming them into new sculptural forms. Kim Min Jeong reveals emotion through painting. His practice begins with confronting memories rooted in personal experiences and sensations embedded within the inner self. Figures depicted on his canvas may exhibit expressionless faces, and their bodies are often distorted or floating in space. Though vaguely recognizable as human forms, these incomplete and ambiguous images invite multiple interpretations. Park Jae Young creates synesthetic paintings that engage senses of both vision and touch. By objectifying imagery derived from knitting, his compositions emphasize the tactile, textured qualities of textiles. Familiar and warm imagery that is easily recognized jumps out from his canvases, further amplifying the visual sensibility inherent in painting. Shin So Young’s artistically depicted wings convey human emotion, relationships, and the longing for one’s dreams. Rather than emphasizing functionality, these wings signify the power that emerges when two come together. The artist visualizes solidarity and love formed through relationships between individuals, embracing the beauty of connection. Kim Jung Wuk works with holograms. He creates experiences in which illumination appears and disappears within the exhibition space, allowing viewers to directly perceive the gap between reality and unreality. Sung Jin Min Stroll Acrylic on canvas, 45.9x35.8in, 2023 Hwang Nam Kyu Sweet Dream FRP, Stainless steel, Bronze, Acrylic, 20x20x27cm (9.8x9.8x13.7in), 2024 Kim Min Jeong Withering II Oil on canvas, 40x40cm (15.7x15.7in), 2025 Park Jae Young Woolscape - Houseboats Oil on canvas, 65x50cm (25.5x19.6 inch), 2023 Shin So Young Shape of the Heart 202201 25.6 x 20.9 inch, Acrylic gouache on canvas, 2022 Kim Jung Wuk LAYER Optical hologram, 40cmx50cm, 2023 About the Artists (detail) Sung Jin Min is an abstract painter whose work explores the nature of time and the subtle traces of sensations that appear and quietly disappear. She received her BFA and MFA in Painting from Sookmyung Women’s University in Seoul and later earned her MFA from the University of Pennsylvania. Since then, she has presented her work in solo and group exhibitions in Seoul, New York, and various international art fairs. She currently works between Korea and the United States while also directing Gallery Knot.   Rather than presenting defined imagery or narrative, Sung’s paintings unfold through layered color fields, softened edges, and moments of translucency. Colors accumulate, overlap, and dissolve across the surface, suggesting not a fixed moment but the lingering residue of experience. For the artist, time is not a stable or measurable entity; it is a fluid and shifting flow of perception that continuously gathers and transforms. Standing before her work, viewers are not asked to decode a specific meaning. Instead, they are invited to pause and allow their own memories and emotions to surface. The subtle variations in tone and depth create a space where perception unfolds gradually. Meaning emerges not instantly, but through quiet attention.   Hwang Nam Gyu (artist name: ARO) was born in a rural village in Sacheon, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. He majored in sculpture at Dong-A University in Busan and, after graduating, moved to the Seoul metropolitan area, where he continues his artistic practice. He has held solo exhibitions at Jeongsu Gallery (2025), Gallery Nut (2024), and Topohaus (2023), and has participated in domestic and international art fairs including Superfine Art Fair (Washington, D.C.) and Aqua Art Miami.   Hwang balances commercial and artistic work, channeling the resulting deficiencies and energy into his creations. He explores the concept of physical intimacy, translating the sensations of connection, communion, and healing into sculptural language. Using symbolic forms like apples, animals, the human body, and mountains, he expresses the wounds and recovery processes experienced in relationships. Through repetitive sculptural actions of rubbing and filling surfaces, he narrates the healing journey of enduring and overcoming injury. Recently he has expanded his sculptural exploration to contemplate how nature is wounded by human desires and purposes, and its recovery.   Kim Min Jeong was born in South Korea. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in Western Painting from Cheongju University’s College of Arts and completed a master's degree in Western Painting at Chung-Ang University’s Graduate School of Fine Arts. She has held solo exhibitions primarily in Seoul and participated in group exhibitions across Korea, including in Suwon and Ulsan. Kim was selected as an emerging artist by the Seoul Arts Center which featured her work in the exhibition program. She has expanded her scope of activity through art fairs held in Seoul and Busan.   Kim reveals deep emotion through painting. Her practice begins with confronting memories rooted in personal experiences and sensations embedded within the inner self.   Park Jae Young was born in 1973 in South Korea and is currently based in Seoul. He received his BFA in Western Painting from Chung-Ang University and completed his MFA at the same institution. In 2021, he received the Painting Award at the London Art Biennale and was selected three consecutive times for the Aesthetica Art Prize (Future Now). His major exhibitions include Scope Miami Beach, AQUA Art Miami, KunstRai Amsterdam, and Art the Hague, and he has participated in international art fairs and biennales in Seoul, London, New York, Milan, Taipei, and Hong Kong. His works have been presented at Christie’s Hong Kong and K Auction, and are held in corporate and private collections internationally.   Park is renowned for his hyper-realistic “woolscapes,” meticulously painted landscapes that use strands of wool as a central motif to explore themes of memory, human connection, and the passage of time. His restrained color palette and layered brushwork reflect deep inquiry into the sensorial qualities of surfaces and the emotional resonance of repetition. His practice bridges the tactile and the conceptual, transforming ordinary materials and visual elements into new sensations through color and texture.   Shin So Young graduated from Sookmyung Women’s University in Seoul and its Graduate School of Fine Arts. She has expanded her practice across a wide range of media, including sculpture, animation, digital art, and painting, and has taught at Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Sejong University, and the Graduate School of Education at Sookmyung Women’s University.   Shin is a contemporary artist who explores human emotions and relationships through the motif of wings. Her free and distinctive wing forms reflect each individual’s journey toward their dreams while also expressing the organic connections that bring people together.   Kim Jung Wuk completed a master's degree in holography at the Korea National University of Arts. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in immersive content at Kwangwoon University, continuing diverse research to share three-dimensional visual experiences with the public. For the past 13 years, using holography as his primary medium, Kim has reinterpreted everyday objects through this lens. Based in Heyri Art Village, Korea, he has been actively working both domestically and internationally, including in Japan, the United States, and Dubai, building a unique artistic world that combines scientific technology with artistic sensibility. Born with congenital amblyopia, Kim’s unique visual experience led to fundamental questions about existence and perception, which he explores artistically.

Join a special screening of dramatic short films for the DC Independent Film Festival (DCIFF) 2026 including Back Then, a moving work by emerging Korean filmmaker Junhyeok Kim about a young man whose taxi ride in New York evokes a powerful memory.   Register through the KCCDC below for complimentary admission to this ticketed DCIFF event! Quantities are limited.   This curated DCIFF program brings together six powerful short films exploring memory, family, identity, and emotional turning points. Stick around after the films for a discussion and meeting with Director Junhyeok Kim! For full event information including other featured films and general public ticket sales, please visit the official DCIFF event page. DCIFF Personal & Drama Short Films Collection featuring "Back Then" Date: Saturday, February 14, 2026 Time: 2:10 PM – 4:30 PM Location: Regal Gallery Place (701 7th St NW, Washington, DC 20001) Tickets offered through this page are part of a community ticket sponsorship and are free of charge, with limited availability. REGISTER FOR COMPLIMENTARY TICKETS! About the Film  Title: Back Then Director: Junhyeok Kim Runtime: 13 minutes Country: United States, 2025 Synopsis: As Haneul leaves home for college, a quiet taxi ride to New York stirs a fading childhood memory—sparked by an old, crumpled Leche Frita wrapper. Back Then is a tender reflection on family, memory, and growing up between cultures. About the Director Junhyeok [Eric] Kim is a South Korean filmmaker at New York University Tisch School of the Arts majoring in Film & TV. His first short film "Well-dying," has won over 20 awards and nominations including Audience Award at the Oscar®-qualifying Indy Shorts Film Festival, Special Presentation at the Oscar®-qualifying 32nd Heartland International Film Festival, Oscar®-qualifying deadCenter Festival, Remi Winner at the 56th WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival, and many more.  ●2024 Oscar® winner Ben Proudfoot's Breakwater Studios quoted Well-dying, "A beautiful piece...sending our big congratulations." ●RogerEbert.com wrote "Wrenching and exquisite. The work of a born filmmaker. It feels like the work of a filmmaker three times his age."  

Join the KCCDC and Asia Families for a special screening of the documentary K-Number, which shares personal stories of Korean adoptees, highlighting their challenges, triumphs, and the ongoing search for self and heritage. This thought-provoking film invites reflection on identity, culture, and community. Stay after the screening for a Q&A with producer Seyoung Jo and several adoptees featured in the film to hear firsthand insights, pose questions, and engage in meaningful dialogue about the stories portrayed. Free with an RSVP! K-Number Sunday, February 8, 2026, 5:00 – 7:00 PM (Discussion & Q&A: 7 – 7:30 PM) Crescendo Studio (8101a US Route 29, Falls Church, VA 22042) RSVP FOR THIS EVENT! About K-Number In the early 1970s, Mioka was found by chance on the street, unable to remember her own name. As the years passed, she traveled to Korea multiple times in search of her birth family. Each time, however, she returned with manipulated documents and concealed records. What is the truth behind the K-Number, and what secrets lie hidden within the missing files? Across time and borders, a long-buried truth begins to surface. Awards & Nominations 2025: 13th Diaspora Film Festival – Diaspora Feature Section 2025: 22nd CPH:DOX – F:ACT Award Nominee 2024: 50th Seoul Independent Film Festival – Grand Prize (Feature Competition) 2024: 50th Seoul Independent Film Festival – Enthusiastic Staff Award 2024: 29th Busan International Film Festival – Wide Angle Documentary Competition / Documentary Audience Award

Celebrate the Lunar New Year and welcome the Year of the Red Horse at the Smithsonian's Lunar New Year Festival, featuring KCCDC cultural displays, activities, giveaways, and more that celebrate Seollal!  Find KCCDC table in the pop-up market inside the Arts + Industries Building, right next door to more festivities and performances at the National Museum of Asian Art. And don't miss Korean dance and drumming group Di Dim Sae Korean Traditional Art Institute the same day!  Lunar New Year 2026 Celebration: Korean Seollal  Saturday, February 21, 12:00 - 6:00 PM  Smithsonian Arts + Industries Building For details and to RSVP, visit the NMAA website. Seollal (Korean Lunar New Year) 2026: Celebrating the Year of the Red Horse To celebrate Seollal, the Korean Lunar New Year, and welcome the Year of the Red Horse (2026), the Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. will present an exhibition of traditional Seollal seasonal customs (sesipungsok) and display authentic ceremonial items associated with the holiday. Visitors will receive a limited number of traditional Korean craft souvenirs inspired by Seollal traditions. KCCDC Giveaway Items & Cultural Insights Please note: gifts are limited in quantity, one gift per person, and items will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis! Thank you for your understanding.  ●Bokjumeoni (복주머니) – Korean Fortune Pouch A traditional silk pouch symbolizing good fortune and prosperity. The bokjumeoni is believed to bring luck and abundance for the coming year. ●Year of the Red Horse 2026 Pin Button (2026년 병오년 붉은 말의 해 핀버튼) A commemorative pin celebrating the Year of the Red Horse, symbolizing energy, progress, and success. ●Bokjori (복조리) – Fortune Strainer A traditional bamboo strainer originally used to wash rice. During Seollal, bokjori is hung at the door to “scoop up” good luck and prosperity throughout the year. ●Mape (마패) – Joseon Dynasty Horse Pass A replica of an official horse credential used during the Joseon Dynasty, allowing government officials safe and unhindered travel. The Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. bestows this symbolic horse pass as a token of authority, protection, and rising fortune. ●Aekmagi Myeongtae (액막이 명태) – Good Luck Fish A traditional dried pollock charm symbolizing protection and good fortune. Often hung at the entrance of homes during Seollal to ward off bad luck and welcome blessings. ●Minhwa Coloring Set (민화 컬러링 4종 세트) A Korean traditional folk painting coloring set featuring four symbolic themes: ○Tiger & Magpie – Protection and good fortune ○Peony & Butterfly – Prosperity, happiness, love, and longevity ○Deer & Crane – Peace, nobility, and good fortune ○Chaekgeori – Books and scholars’ objects symbolizing knowledge, learning, and aspiration ●K-Pop Random Album A limited number of K-Pop albums will also be given away as a special surprise gift.