The Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. showcased a day packed with Korean cultural events on Saturday, May 4th as part of the annual city-wide Passport DC: Around the World Embassy Tour event organized by Events DC. 

Despite rain and gloomy weather, the center welcomed over 2,600 guests who enjoyed various activities such as Korean traditional performances, a K-pop singing and dance competition, a cultural display booth and a Hanbok photo booth. 

Passport DC is a celebration where embassies open to the public and celebrates the diplomatic community and international culture in Washington, D.C.

The day began with traditional Korean performances including Samulnori (traditional percussion performance), Giwonmu (traditional Korean ritual for rain dance), Buchaechum (traditional fan dance), and more. There was also a special performance by the visiting Korean folk group 'bob', featuring a range of traditional Korean folk songs and pop songs. Visitors could also enjoy a Hanbok dress-up activity, a photo booth and the KCCDC's ongoing exhibtion "Imagining Post-Anthropocene" open specially for weekend viewing. 

In the afternoon, a K-pop dance and singing contest commenced with 28 soloists and teams participating. Manasi Moni-Trichur won the vocal category singing K-pop singer Sunmi's "Noir" and Howard University's K-pop dance team 1OAK (One of a Kind) won the dance category with their own K-pop mix.