Korea Day Festival brings the traditional and contemporary to York

Festival to showcase the best in Korean culture, music, art and food.

Korean culture will be celebrated at a free one-day festival held at York St John University on Saturday 3 June 2023. Organised in collaboration with the Korean Cultural Centre UK, the Korea Day festival is packed with family-friendly activities and opportunities to experience the food, music and art of Korea. This year’s theme focuses on ‘communication and inclusivity’, with activities and exhibitions reflecting the rich diversity in the modern and traditional elements of Korean culture. 

A Korean cultural fair will take place from 12pm where visitors can sample Korean food, try on traditional Korean ‘Hanbok’ clothes, see a calligrapher at work, create unique art and crafts, and have a go at traditional Korean street games. In addition, visitors will have the opportunity to learn the basics of British and Korean sign language and find out more about LGBTQ+ inclusivity in Korea today at a special exhibition. 

Ending the day, a Korean music and dance concert will take place in the York St John Creative Centre at 4.30pm. The showcase will include performances from York St John’s K-Dance society, 'London KIM'S dance group CIC', London Korean traditional dance team, ‘Humming Bird’, the Korean choir team, and guest performers from the University of York’s Korean Cultural Society.  

Dr Hana Jee, Lecturer in Korean and Applied Linguistics at York St John University said: 

“We are proud to be partnering with the Korean Cultural Centre UK for a third year in succession, giving visitors the chance to experience both new and traditional elements of Korean culture. York St John Korean language students will be joining forces with Korean exchange students to bring an eclectic mix of hands-on activities for all ages to enjoy.” 

York St John University has been selected as host of the festival thanks to increasing popularity of the University’s Korean courses and the runaway success of last year’s events. Students can study abroad and take part in exchange programmes, developing their cultural capital with a global, multilingual experience. Accessible to students from all backgrounds, Korean language courses at the University are increasingly popular and provide opportunities to develop life skills and career prospects. 

All events take place on Saturday 3 June at York St John University’s Lord Mayor’s Walk campus. Full details can be found on the Eventbrite booking page. Tickets for the dance performances at 4.30pm are priced at £5.50 and can be booked on Eventbrite. 

Event programme 

Calligraphy Exhibition, 12pm to 4pm, York St John Creative Centre 
Modern Korean Culture Poster Exhibition, 12pm to 4pm, York St John Creative Centre 
LGBTQ+ in Korea Poster Exhibition, 12pm to 4pm, York St John Creative Centre 
Academic Poster Exhibition on Korean Culture and Language, 12pm to 4pm, York St John Creative Centre 
British vs Korean Sign Language Exhibition and Experience, 12pm to 4pm, York St John Dining Hall 
Learning Hanguel (Korean writing system) and Calligraphy Experience, 12pm to 4pm, York St John Dining Hall 
Arts and Crafts, 12pm to 4pm, York St John Dining Hall 
Traditional Korean Culture Exhibition, 12pm to 4pm, York St John Dining Hall 
Traditional Korean Games, 12pm to 4pm, Dining Hall Garden 
Korean Food Stall, 12pm to 3pm, Dining Hall Garden Balcony 
Traditional Korean Dance and K-pop dance performance, 4.30pm to 6pm, York St John Creative Centre - Booking required on Eventbrite