The Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. is proud to present 'Patchwork of Elsewhere', a new exhibition of works by Gina Bae, Timothy Hyunsoo Lee, Sookkyung Park, and Yu-Ching Wang that deconstructs and attempts to redefine the familiar notions of home and belonging. In a world characterized by fluidity and change where constants seems persistently elusive, the idea of home often drifts somewhere between memory and reality. Home can be both a structure we inhabit and a feeling we chase—something defined not only by walls and roofs but by a disparate assemblage of language, culture, past lives, and imagined futures. Patchwork of Elsewhere traces this intangible architecture of what makes a mere place truly a home—or not. For many, fond memories of home can also be a source of discomfort when coupled with displacement, longing, or mere provisional belonging. Family, like home, can also be defined in either physical or psychological terms, and the absence of either can be keenly felt. This exhibition investigates these issues within the ever-shifting context of human migration, adaptation, and cultural hybridity in an attempt to redefine a sense of belonging. Artists Gina Bae, Timothy Hyunsoo Lee, Sookkyung Park, and Yu-Ching Wang represent a constellation of creative styles that powerfully evoke the condition of being elsewhere—apart from home and belonging. Each artist, shaped by their cultural background and personal narrative, shares a portrait of life lived in between homes, cultures, and feelings of belonging. Such experiences are both deeply challenging and yet generative of new possibilities. About the Artists Gina Bae’s paintings weave together traditional Korean folk motifs with speculative, figurative landscapes, creating visual spaces where the stories of two generations—hers and that of her first-generation immigrant parents—overlap as both familiar and unfamiliar snapshots. She experiments with fusing the traditional Korean minhwa art style and her experience growing up as a second-generation Korean American, affording herself a fluid definition of cultural heritage. Timothy Hyunsoo Lee deconstructs bodily and emotional terrain, visualizing the dissonant paths of immigration and queer embodiment. His work explores the rituals, anxieties, and material memories of navigating between cultures while seeking a home within a politicized and ever-shifting body. Sookkyung Park crafts delicate paper sculptures inspired by the overlapping eaves of traditional Korean hanok architecture but which carry multiple layers of meaning. Her work reinterprets both the structural designs and the tactile memory inherent in hanji, Korean traditional paper, as a means of revisiting personal histories of home, memory, and migration. Through meditative acts of folding and layering, she transforms paper into vessels of remembrance, connecting past and present across geographies. Yu-Ching Wang conducts documentary research into the urban presence of migrant communities, presenting poetic yet grounded reflections on how people claim spaces and visibility in their own unique ways in once unfamiliar cities. Patchwork of Elsewhere gathers together these disparate artistic practices with intentionality to form a single collective from distinct fragments of human experience. Rather than striving for a resolution to these challenges, the exhibition embraces the dissonance of being “elsewhere” and reframes incompleteness as a viable alternative to a singular, stable notion of home. In seeking out new ways to belong, even temporarily, Bae, Lee, Park, and Wang collectively create an ephemeral landscape where viewers might even encounter echoes of their own untold stories and unresolved feelings among the fragments of others. All those who have ever felt at home, adrift, or anywhere in between are invited to step into this artistic space that celebrates fluidity over permanence, connection over ownership, and placemaking over rootedness.   Selected Artwork Details 배지나 Gina Bae I Am a Fairy and Everything Is Run by Woodcutter Fantasies 2024 Oil on canvas, 48” x 36” 이현수 Timothy Hyunsoo Lee TrueView (Overexposed) 2023 cyanotype on fabric, 48" x 60" each 박숙경 Sookkyung Park The Sun 2023 Folded Paper, Acrylic & Spray Paint, 31” x 31” x 8” (H) 왕유칭 Yu-Ching Wang Pigeonese  2022 Video and performative action, single-channel, color, with sound, video duration: 15 min 35 sec

Alfred Yun at Blues Alley (June 23) Emerging Artist Mondays Series Monday, June 23, 2025 Blues Alley Club 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20007 *This event is in collaboration with Blues Alley Jazz   Alfred Yun is a composer, pianist, producer, audio engineer, and music teacher. In 2019, Alfred Yun composed a score for Kookmin University in Seoul, South Korea. The video was featured on national television, movie theaters, subways, and airports. Alfred Yun was honored to be chosen by the Music Center At Strathmore as an Artist-in-Residence for the 2023-2024 season. This includes featured concerts at Strathmore’s prestigious AMP club in January and participating in programs hroughout the season. As a leader, Alfred Yun has led groups at venues like the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage, Strathmore AMP, Blues Alley, The Arts Barn, An Die Musik Live, and Franklin Park Arts Center. Alfred Yun has had the fortune of performing at festivals like the KORUS Festival, Lake Anne Jazz Festival, Jazz in the Country Festival, Crossroads Festival, the Yellowdoor Concert Series, and Nowon Festival in Seoul, South Korea. Last but not least, Alfred Yun is a music teacher. Several of his students were accepted by the Chantilly Jazz Program and the National Jazz Workshop at Shenandoah Conservatory.   To learn more about, visit his website: https://www.alfredyun.com Monday, June 23, 7:00 & 9:30 PM Blues Alley (1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW Washington, DC 20007) Note: Ticket and $15 minimum food/beverage purchase is required for this event.  Purchase tickets for this event here: 7:00 p.m. performance | 9:30 p.m. performance

Join the KCCDC in collaboration with JUB Cultural Center for a special traditional dance workshop centered on the concept of jeongchwi, or the charm of tranquility, mood, and atmosphere. Enjoy a live performance of traditional Korean dances, experience playing a traditional Korean sogo hand drum, and learn basic movements guided by esteemed Korean dancers.   The program will be guided by performers Park Ji Won (Director of Deon Dance Company and an Intangible Cultural Heritage holder) and Byun Jae Un (Director of JUB Cultural Center and the Korean Traditional Arts Foundation-Washington).   This participatory workshop will offer an unforgettable chance to experience the classical roots of Korean dance, characterized by its subtle movements, refined aesthetics, and essential place in Korea's centuries-old national cultural heritage. After the opening performances, participants will practice the basic movement and sounds of the Sinawi Sogo Dance, learn to combine footwork and use of the extended sleeve accessory known as han-sam, and then dance together in sync to live percussion.   Hwagwanmu (화관무)  This traditional dance registered as part of the cultural heritage of Hwanghae Province. It is characteristic of Korea’s ancient royal court tradition, where movements were refined and subtle, and it often features the extended sleeve accessory known as han-sam. Experience the solemn movements and gravitas of Hwagwanmu complimented by the charm of the dancer’s decorative floral crown headpiece.   Sinawi Sogo Dance (시나위 소고춤)  This performance utilizes the sogo, a small and versatile hand-held drum featured in many Korean traditional performances. The dancer must skillfully play the sogo while executing various dynamic movements in a somewhat improvisational format.   Traditional Dance with Instrumental Accompaniment After attendees learn the essentials, this participatory dance will be accompanied by traditional Korean percussion instruments such as janggu (hourglass-shaped drum), jing (medium gong), and buk (barrel drum), showcasing a harmony of movement, rhythm, and energy.   This special K-Culture Talk series presentation and workshop is presented in collaboration with JUB Cultural Center.   Jeongchwi: Korean Traditional Dance Workshop with JUB Culture Center Thursday, June 12, 6:00 – 7:30 PM Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C.   RSVP FOR THIS EVENT!

2025 K-Pop Academy DC – Call for Participants ***Extended Application Period***                          Calling all K-Pop fans! Ready to dance like your favorite idols? Join the K-Pop Academy and bring your stage dreams to life!   The Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. (KCCDC) is pleased to announce the 2025 K-Pop Academy, to be held at the KCCDC from July 7 through July 19 with applications accepted June 9 – 20. This exciting program offers a special opportunity for local fans that are passionate about K-Pop to gain hands-on experience and connect with Korean dance and culture through live training sessions with Korean industry professionals.   There's no cost to join, but the application process is competitive. See below for full details on the program and how to apply.   Program Overview   ●Dates: July 7 (Mon) – July 19 (Sat), 2025 ●Schedule: Three sessions per week; final showcase on Saturday, July 19 ●Location: Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. (2370 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008) ●Participants: 20 students in the Beginner Class, 20 in the Intermediate Class ●Eligibility: Open to all K-Pop fans aged 15 and older! Participants must also be able to participate in all class sessions in-person in Washington, D.C. according to the schedule below. ●Fees: There is no fee to apply or participate, but due to limited space, submitting your complete application early is highly recommended. ●Language: All classes will be conducted in English—no Korean language ability is required to participate.   Instructor & Class Format   A professional K-Pop dance choreographer from Korea with experience training well-known K-Pop idol groups will lead the program, providing high-quality instruction tailored to participants' levels across two groups. This year’s academy will focus on dance training without a separate vocal training group.   [Beginner] For those who are interested in K-Pop but have little or no dance experience Focuses on basic choreography, performance understanding, teamwork building   [Intermediate] For those with prior experience in K-Pop dance at an intermediate level Focuses on choreography creation, effective practice techniques, role sharing, and leadership skills Not sure which level to choose? No worries! Just upload a 1-minute dance video in the application form, and our instructor will help determine the best level for you. Class Schedule     How to Apply   Application Period: June 9 – 20, 2025 ***Extended Application Period*** How to Apply: Complete the application form via the KCCDC website Selection Announcement: Wednesday, June 25 Selection: 40 participants will be selected through a review of applications   Applicants selected for participation will be contacted directly. Please understand that the process is competitive, and that due to strong interest only a portion of applicants are selected for participation. In your application, be sure to express your passion and tell us what participating would mean to you! Applicants are encouraged to be thoughtful and to convey, for example, their passion, how they could benefit from the program, or their personal motivations, all of which will be considered. Participants are not selected based on individual skill but on maximizing the overall positive impact of the program.   Inquiries   For more information, please visit the KCCDC website or contact us at soh24@mofa.or.kr. 👉Apply Now!(Extended Application Period)👈

In 1991, while South Korea was striving to join the United Nations, a brutal civil war erupted in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. Cut off from all communication, the staff and families of the South Korean embassy find themselves trapped amidst a storm of bullets and bombs, fighting each day to stay alive. One night, officials from the North Korean embassy come knocking, seeking help... Their shared goal: to escape from Mogadishu. Free with an RSVP! Complimentary snacks. In Korean with English subtitles. Acclaimed director Ryu Seung-wan's dramatic epic 2021 Escape from Mogadishu starring Kim Yoon-seok, Zo In-sung, Huh Joon-ho, Koo Kyo-hwan, Kim So-jin, and Jung Man-sik is based on real events and went on to earn critical and commercial success.  Free with an RSVP! Complimentary snacks. In Korean with English subtitles. 121 minutes.  Escape from Mogadishu (모가디슈) Wednesday, June 18, 6:00 PM Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. (2370 Massachusetts Ave. NW) RSVP HERE!