Often found at theaters and museums, Kwon Mee-yoo has covered a wide range of cultural fields from K-pop and dramas to theater and fine art for over a decade. Now as K-Culture Desk editor, she tries to connect Korean culture with global readers through fresh perspectives.
Korea’s traditions come to life in Toronto in September
A poster for "Once Upon a Day of Lady Kim with K-craft," an exhibition highlighting Korea's traditional crafts as part of Korea Intangible Cultural Heritage Week 2025 in Toronto / Courtesy of Korea Heritage Service
By Kwon Mee-yoo
As Korean culture — from K-pop and Korean dramas to traditional crafts and cuisine — continues to captivate global audiences, Korean Intangible Cultural Heritage Week 2025 arrives in Toronto this fall.
Organized by the Korea Heritage Service and Korea Heritage Agency, the event marks the program's first major overseas expansion in North America. The two-week celebration invites Canadians to experience the richness of Korean intangible heritage not as relics of the distant past, but as vibrant cultural practices that remain relevant today.
The centerpiece of the event is the exhibition, “Once Upon a Day of Lady Kim with K-craft,” running from Sept. 11 to 23 at Arta Gallery in Toronto’s Distillery District. Rather than a conventional historical showcase, the exhibition reimagines the life of a fictional Lady Kim, exploring the daily lifestyle and wisdom of Korean women through handcrafted works passed down over generations.
The exhibit features 192 pieces across 91 categories, including a gold-and-silver inlaid peony wedding chest by National Intangible Cultural Heritage traditional inlay master Hong Jeong-sil, a set of garments sewn by needlework master Koo Hye-ja and a metal comb case by metalcraft master Kim Geuk-cheon.
These pieces are displayed in themed spaces that mirror the flow of everyday life, from personal adornment to household items and family rituals, creating a narrative of artistry as an extension of lived experience.
On Sept. 13, “Living, Time, Arirang,” a performance centered on Korea’s best-known folk song, will be staged at the Meridian Arts Centre. Designated by UNESCO as part of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity, “Arirang” has long served as a symbol of resilience, longing and Korean identity.
The first part of the performance, “Living,” features pansori narrative singer Kim Il-koo and Gyeonggi Province-style folk singer Lee Chun-hee presenting traditional variations, while the second half, “Time,” reinterprets “Arirang” through the contemporary lens of fusion band Yegyul and choreographer Park Cheol-woo, with audience members encouraged to join a sing-along. The finale, “Arirang Harmony,” will bring all performers together in a transcultural celebration.
To further engage the public, hands-on experiences will be offered at the Royal Ontario Museum on Sept. 13 and 14. Visitors can try on traditional Korean clothes called hanbok, create keychains using traditional Korean decorative knotting, or maedeup, and stitch pouches inspired by Korean embroidery.
Visitors who participate in all three programs can receive commemorative gifts such as norigae, a decorative ornament featured in the popular animated film “KPop Demon Hunters.”