22 Korean Cultural Centers in 20 countries offer diverse Lunar New Year events

A group of people participate in a Seollal event in 2024 at the Korean Cultural Center in Rome, Italy last year. (MCST)
A group of people participate in a Seollal event in 2024 at the Korean Cultural Center in Rome, Italy last year. (MCST)

In celebration of Seollal, the Lunar New Year falling on Wednesday, Korean Cultural Centers around the world are offering a taste of Korean traditions with a series of events. According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, 22 Korean Cultural Centers across 20 countries celebrate with a variety of activities, allowing local residents to experience traditional Korean New Year customs, including "sebae" (the traditional bow), tteokguk (rice cake soup), hanbok (traditional Korean clothing) and traditional games including those featured in the Netflix hit "Squid Game."

Special events for the Lunar New Year include eSports competitions, sebae for Korean War veterans, K-pop dance performances and collaborative festivals with the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

In the Philippines, the Korean Cultural Center will host traditional games featured in "Squid Game: Season 2" on Tuesday. In India, the center will work with a local middle school to offer activities for Korean language learners, including sebae, on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Korean Cultural Center in Thailand will honor local Korean War veterans with a sebae event, alongside additional cultural experiences.

In Germany, the Korean Cultural Center will host a tteokguk tasting, sebae experiences, and traditional game demonstrations, including "yutnori" and "gonggi," on Wednesday.

The Korean Cultural Center in Hungary will provide high school students both from Hungary and Korea with a Lunar New Year experience on Wednesday, while the center in Poland will offer a variety of Korean cultural activities for SWPS University students and faculty on the same day.

The Korean Cultural Center in Spain is offering both online and offline events to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Online, participants can create hanbok diffuser dolls from Feb. 3 to Feb. 6, while offline, they can experience hanbok and traditional Korean folk games from Feb. 10 to Feb. 21.

In Italy, the Korean Cultural Center will introduce a vibrant performance featuring traditional Korean instruments -- the "janggu" (hourglass-shaped drum), "daegeum" (bamboo flute), and the "gayageum" (12-string zither) on Wednesday.

In Sweden, beginners of Korean language school Sejong Institute will have a chance to try on hanbok, performing ancestral rites ("charye"), playing yutnori, making tteokguk and more on Thursday.

In the US, the Korean Cultural Center in Washington, DC will run "Lunar New Year Korean Culture Experience Week," Feb. 3-7, where visitors can explore both traditional and modern Korean culture. As part of the event, the center has partnered with the Smithsonian American Art Museum to offer various performances including "samulnori" (traditional Korean percussion music), "buk" (drum) performances, "sangmo" spinning (traditional dance with spinning headgear), "beona" spinning (spinning top dance) and a K-pop dance performance.

Exhibitions will showcase "cheongsa chorong" (traditional Korean lanterns) and a "charye sang" (traditional ritual table). Additionally, attendees can engage in activities such as making traditional crafts and coloring. The National Museum of Asian Art will host a Lunar New Year market, featuring a display of traditional Korean crafts, as well as CDs and merchandise from popular K-pop groups, promoting Korea’s vibrant pop culture.

In Los Angeles, the center will host traditional performances, games and hanbok fittings to introduce local residents to Korean Lunar New Year customs.

In Canada, Mexico and Australia, events will include: tteokguk making, traditional game experiences, fan-making and hanbok-wearing, offering a glimpse into the joy and excitement of Korea's traditional Lunar New Year festivities.

Additional events will take place in Nigeria, where the Korean Cultural Center will feature traditional food and games, and in the UAE, where activities such as the 5-in-6 game, featured in "Squid Game: Season 2," a tteokguk tasting and a "Create My Goal for the Year" activity will be offered.

A Seollal event at the Korean Cultural Center Thailand last year (MCST)
A Seollal event at the Korean Cultural Center Thailand last year (MCST)
A poster for 2025 Seollal event at the Korean Cultural Center India (MCST)
A poster for 2025 Seollal event at the Korean Cultural Center India (MCST)