Korea Season 2026 Cultural Festival Officially Launches in Vietnam and Thailand
South Korea's Korea Season 2026 cultural festival officially launches in May across Vietnam and Thailand, featuring contemporary ballet, K-pop events, and media art exhibitions throughout the year to showcase Korean culture and foster regio
About the Korea Season Cultural Festival Program
The Korea Season is a cultural initiative hosted by South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and organized by the Korea Foundation for International Cultural Exchange. The program selects one strategic country annually to present Korean culture and arts comprehensively throughout the year, aiming to promote the spread of Korean culture and build sustainable foundations for cultural exchange.
In 2026, the festival will be promoted through collaboration with the Korean Cultural Centers in Vietnam and Thailand, significant cultural hubs in Southeast Asia. The official launch of Korea Season 2026 is set for May, with diverse programs continuing throughout the year. The festival will provide extensive opportunities for local audiences and artists to participate in cultural exchange activities.
The festival will engage local audiences through varied programming including dance, media art exhibitions, festivals, and classical performances. Key events include contemporary ballet in May, the K-Live Festival in October, media art exhibitions presenting traditional Korean concepts from December through January, and SM Classics Live in Hanoi in November.
Opening Performance: A Meeting of Korean Aesthetics and Ballet
In mid-May, a contemporary ballet production will inaugurate Korea Season 2026 for Vietnamese and Thai audiences. The work interprets Korean aesthetics through Western ballet, primarily featuring the traditional Korean hat 'gat' as its central motif. It reinterprets traditional forms and symbols such as the 'ssaksa' (bamboo hat) and 'jokhtu' (women's ceremonial headdress), conveying uniquely Korean emotions on stage, including the integrity of scholars, the perseverance of warriors, and the elegance of women.
The production benefits from a creative team including notable national and international award winners, led by artistic director Yoon Byeol and choreographer Park So-yeon from the Yoon Byeol Ballet Company. As a ballet company emphasizing creativity and representing the new generation of Korean ballet, the Yoon Byeol Ballet Company is expanding the possibilities of contemporary ballet through refined performances that transcend both tradition and modernity.
Notably, the 2025 national tour of this contemporary ballet garnered significant attention from the dance community, achieving sold-out performances with an average 99% attendance rate. This work, which reinterprets traditional narratives in contemporary form, has gained popularity through word-of-mouth, receiving critical acclaim and expanding its audience primarily through social media, particularly attracting younger viewers.
The opening performance of Korea Season 2026 aims to present new dimensions of Korean culture and arts to local audiences through a stage that bridges tradition and modernity, as well as East and West.
