Sejong Culture Academy 2026
Sejong Culture Academy 2026 is a global Korean cultural education program organized by the King Sejong Institute Foundation and presented locally by the Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. (KCCDC). The 2026 Academy will operate in 217 locations across 80 countries, with this local program offering six public, hands-on workshops on traditional Korean games, hanbok, and K-Beauty. Participants will explore both traditional and contemporary Korean culture while learning from experienced cultural practitioners and instructors.
The public workshops take place at the KCCDC, while additional private programs will be offered separately for students at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Participants should register for one session only so that more people can take part.
When: September 7–18, 2026. The scheduled public workshops take place September 8, 9, 14, 15, and 16.
Venue: Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. (KCCDC) and local universities. University programs will be announced separately to their respective student communities.
Schedule: Traditional Korean Games meets Tuesday, September 8, from 2:00 to 4:30 p.m., or Wednesday, September 9, from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. Hanbok: Traditional Korean Attire meets Monday, September 14, from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m., or Tuesday, September 15, from 2:00 to 4:30 p.m. K-Beauty meets Wednesday, September 16, from 2:00 to 4:30 p.m., or Wednesday, September 16, from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m.
Run time: Each workshop lasts approximately two and a half hours. Each activity is offered in two identical sessions at different times.
Traditional Korean Games: Instructor Seo-yeong Park, director of the social enterprise Urinnori Cooperative, leads this hands-on exploration of Korean play culture and the values of community and togetherness. Participants will try games featured in the Netflix series *Squid Game*, including Mugunghwa kkochi pieotseumnida, also known as “The mugunghwa flower has bloomed,” as well as ddakji-chigi, biseok-chigi, jegichagi, and gonggi.
Hanbok: Traditional Korean Attire: Traditional hanbok instructor Bo Ryong Jeon of Malssaem School introduces the history, symbolism, and cultural significance of Korea’s traditional clothing. The workshop includes an explanation of daenggi, a traditional hair accessory, followed by a hands-on activity in which participants sew and decorate a daenggi keychain using geumbak, or gold-foil decoration, before completing the accessory.
K-Beauty Workshop: Jin-su Lee, head of the Makeup Pro Team at Amorepacific, presents Korean makeup trends and techniques. The session covers Korea’s skincare-first philosophy and the glass-skin look, tone correction, cushion application, dewy base makeup, natural gradient eye makeup, soft brows, and gradient lips. Professional demonstrations are followed by hands-on practice, a product guide, daily-routine advice, and questions and answers.
Registration: Participants should review the schedule and select the matching date and time through the Eventbrite registration form. The page states that the form is coming soon. Registration is limited to one session per participant.
Tickets: Price not available
Ages: No age restriction is stated.
Accessibility: No accessibility information is provided.