Immersive program offers foreign professionals portal into Korean heritage
Summary
The Korea National University of Heritage is opening enrollment for its 2026 K-Heritage Leadership Program for foreign professionals in Korea. The five-week weekend course runs from Oct. 24 through Nov. 21 and combines lectures, workshops and site visits in Seoul and Buyeo. Participants will study Korean traditional culture through seasonal themes, crafts and rituals. Admission is limited to 20 people, with applications open through Oct. 16.
Key Facts
- The program is open to foreign diplomats, executives and journalists living in Korea.
- Sessions will be held every Saturday from Oct. 24 through Nov. 21.
- The course includes mother-of-pearl lacquerware, traditional paper fan making, Korean tea etiquette and gimjang.
- Changdeok Palace and Buyeo are among the main locations for the program.
- The registration fee is 250,000 won and applications are accepted through Oct. 16.
Foreign participants listen to a K-Heritage Leadership Program lecture. Courtesy of Korea Heritage Service
Beyond the fast-paced pulse of high-tech city life, foreign diplomats, executives and journalists living in Korea are being offered an immersive window into the country's ancient seasonal rhythms and cultural legacy.
The Korea National University of Heritage said Thursday that it is opening enrollment for its 2026 K-Heritage Leadership Program, a tailored five-week weekend course designed to connect expatriate professionals directly with master craftspeople, UNESCO-listed treasures and centuries-old customs.
Running every Saturday from Oct. 24 through Nov. 21, the initiative pairs interactive academic lectures with hands-on cultural immersion across historic venues in Seoul and the university’s principal campus in Buyeo, a city in South Chungcheong Province steeped in ancient Baekje history.
Set against the theme "Korean Traditional Culture Met Through the Four Seasons: Wisdom and Elegance of the Ancestors Found in Nature," the course explores how traditional lifestyle practices, architecture and aesthetics harmonized with nature’s shifting climates throughout history.
Rather than remaining passive observers in museum galleries, enrolled professionals will engage directly in time-honored crafts and everyday rituals.
The comprehensive curriculum includes hands-on workshops in intricate mother-of-pearl lacquerware and traditional paper fan making, alongside formal lessons in Korean tea etiquette featuring seasonal floral brews. The itinerary also features guided architectural explorations of Changdeok Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site famed for its Secret Garden, and a practical workshop on "gimjang," the communal culture of making and sharing kimchi that holds UNESCO intangible cultural heritage status.
The initiative expands on the university's established K-Heritage Academy, launched in 2023 under the national Korea Heritage Service to foster deep cultural literacy among international residents. Beyond hands-on education, each weekend session incorporates structured networking periods, building a lasting community among foreign professionals working across fields such as diplomacy, journalism, higher education, trade, and industry.
Admission is strictly limited to 20 participants on a first-come, first-served basis, with a registration fee of 250,000 won ($184). Applications remain open through Oct. 16, via the university’s official international center web portal.
As Korea continues to project its contemporary pop culture onto the global stage, programs like the K-Heritage Leadership Series provide a vital bridge to the ancient traditions that ground modern Korean identity. For foreign residents seeking a meaningful connection to their host nation, it offers a rare opportunity to experience the enduring seasonal rhythm of Korean history firsthand.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.
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