October 2025
The Korean Cultural Center in Kazakhstan is hosting an exhibition on the history and culture of taekwondo, running until Oct. 15. The exhibition is part of the “Touring K-Arts Project,” organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange, which supports the overseas touring of outstanding Korean cultural and arts programs.
The exhibition features around 50 key artifacts from the National Taekwondo Museum, including taekwondo manuals, competition certificates and medals, protective gear and uniforms. Through these items, visitors can explore the history of taekwondo from Korea’s liberation to the present day.
Taekwondo laid the foundation for modernization after the Korean War (1950-1953) through the unification of local training halls. It went on to integrate different schools, established modern systems and structures, and gained recognition as an official sport in the National Sports Festival. With the launch of World Taekwondo Championships and its inclusion in the Olympic Games, taekwondo grew into a global sport. Visitors can trace this journey vividly through the artifacts on display.
The opening ceremony, held on Aug. 25, was attended by members of the diplomatic community, representatives of World Taekwondo and sports figures, demonstrating strong international interest in taekwondo. Following the ceremony, the Cultural Center offered a guided exhibition tour led by a curator from the National Taekwondo Museum. The event concluded with a performance by Kazakhstan’s taekwondo demonstration team.
As a related program, master classes were also organized, allowing participants to create mother-of-pearl hand mirrors and keychains inspired by taekwondo poomsae design motifs.
The exhibition is free of charge and open to all visitors. The Cultural Center is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Fridays. It is closed on Saturdays and Sundays.
The Korean Cultural Center in Hong Kong presents the 2025 Open Call Exhibition, “Alice ∙ The Turtle, Rabbits beyond the Door,” until Sept. 20. The exhibition features works by members of the contemporary art collective Burgundy—artists Lee Jooyoung, Kim Myongjong, Kim Jeong-woo and Jeong Woojin. Together, they explore the core concepts of identity and transformation through the metaphor of the “door.”
The exhibition title references symbolic figures such as “Alice,” “The Turtle” and “Rabbits beyond the Door,” drawn from Alice in Wonderland and the Korean folktale “Byeoljubu-jeon.” These motifs serve as metaphors for doors opening into different realms. With Hong Kong’s unique position as a historical and cultural crossroads, the exhibition invites audiences to experience art as a portal to unfamiliar dimensions.
Each participating artist approaches the theme from a distinct perspective. Lee Jooyoung uses video and carbon paper drawings to visualize the fragmented nature of language, offering viewers a glimpse into its liberating potential. Kim Myongjong employs mixed media to highlight contradictions and abnormalities in contemporary society, while raising questions about the role of the creator. Kim Jeongwoo investigates the materiality of painting, rendering the tension between image and substance, and reflecting on the meaning of painterly “form.” Jeong Woojin delicately visualizes processes of “identity” and “transformation,” grounded in the idea that human existence is an ever-changing organism interacting with its environment.
The Center’s Open Call Exhibition project aims to introduce emerging Korean artists and curators to the Hong Kong art scene. Alongside the annual “Korean Young Artists Series,” the project continues to discover promising talents with the potential to enter the international art market and present their work in Hong Kong.
The exhibition is free of charge and open to the public from Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Center is closed on Mondays and Sundays and on public holidays.
