Where can foreigners take free or low-cost Korean traditional culture classes?
I am from China and want to learn Korean traditional culture — tea ceremony, hanbok, calligraphy, Korean cooking, and so on. Are there free or affordable classes offered specifically for foreigners?
I heard that district offices, foreigner support centers, and cultural foundations run such programs — which ones are well known, and how do I sign up?
1 Answer
There are more free and low-cost traditional culture classes for foreigners than you would think. Start with your district or city's foreigner resident support center and the Seoul Global Center (run by the city), which offer programs like hanbok experiences, Korean cooking, calligraphy, tea ceremony, and kimchi making for foreigners either free or very cheaply. In Seoul, the Seoul Global Center and the Global Village Centers in each district (Itaewon, Yeoksam, Seorae, and others) are the main ones. The Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation and the National Gugak Center also run experience programs, and places like Korea House offer traditional culture experiences. Sign-up is mostly first-come through each center's website or social media, so search for your area's foreigner support center and global center and watch their schedules. The Danuri call center 1577-1366 or 1345 can also guide you to programs by region.