Ministry of Culture to Host K-Culture Festival "2026 Korea Season" in Thailand and Vietnam

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on May 20 that, in collaboration with the Korean Cultural Center in Thailand, the Korean Cultural Center in Vietnam, and the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange, it will host the "2026 Korea Season" in Thailand and Vietnam, showcasing a variety of K-culture experiences.

The Korea Season is a project designed to present special performances, exhibitions, and a wide array of cultural events throughout the year in countries with high potential for Korean cultural expansion, often in cooperation with related institutions. This year, the spotlight will be on the diverse appeal of Korean culture in Thailand and Vietnam, which serve as major K-culture hubs in Southeast Asia. The Ministry emphasized that, with the reopening of the Korean Cultural Center in Thailand and the 20th anniversary of the Korean Cultural Center in Vietnam, the event will serve as a festival where the people of both countries can connect and share friendship through culture.

The Korea Season will open with "Gat," an original ballet performance by Yunbyeol Ballet Company, which reinterprets the traditional Korean hat, the gat, through ballet. The performance will be held on May 23 at the Siam Pic-Ganesha Theatre in Bangkok, Thailand, and on May 27 at the Hanoi Ho Guom Opera House in Vietnam.

In October, the "K-Live Festival" will take place, offering Thai and Vietnamese audiences a unique cultural experience through diverse genres of band music and vibrant live performances. Musicians representing Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam will share the stage, further enhancing the spirit of musical exchange. In November, a concert featuring famous K-pop songs reinterpreted in a classical style will be held at the Ho Guom Opera House in Vietnam, with the Vietnam National Orchestra collaborating to deliver a distinctive and moving performance.

Toward the end of the year, a special media art exhibition highlighting traditional Korean culture will also be organized. In Thailand, an exhibition will be held within the newly reopened Korean Cultural Center, while in Vietnam, the National Folk Museum's "Tiger Shin-nada" exhibition will be hosted at the Museum of Ethnology from December through January of next year.

In addition, a variety of Korean cultural events will continue year-round across Thailand and Vietnam in cooperation with related organizations. In Thailand, events include a special lecture on the "Taste of Jang" (May), the "K-Day" design hanbok exhibition and experience program (May), the National Gugak Orchestra's "Korean Sound" performance (August), the "Hello Thailand, Sawasdee Korea" Korea-Thailand Comprehensive Culture Festival (November), and a Korean food festival commemorating Kimchi Day (November).

In Vietnam, local audiences can look forward to performances such as the traditional Korean music play "Geumdaraekkung" (May), the Korean Cultural Festival along the embassy’s stone wall path (October), a lecture on Korean rites of passage (October), the children's musical "Poly Pop" (November), and the K-Game Korea Game Week (November), among others.

Detailed information about the various cultural events of the "2026 Korea Season" can be found on the official website.

Kim Hyunjun, Director-General for International Cultural Policy at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, stated, "The 2026 Korea Season will provide an opportunity for deeper cultural engagement with our key Southeast Asian partners, Thailand and Vietnam," adding, "By showcasing the diverse appeal of K-culture locally and promoting bilateral exchanges, we aim to broaden mutual cultural understanding between the two countries."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.