Celebrate Korea at Rockefeller Center

This summer, New Yorkers will be invited to celebrate Korean culture, art, cuisine, and fashion at Rockefeller Center. The celebration will culminate in a week of festivities and will include special events, offerings, and pop-ups in collaboration with retailers at Rockefeller Center. Following the success of the first and second annual Mexico Week: Día De Muertos at Rockefeller Center, the first-ever celebration of Korean culture at the Center will continue Rockefeller Center’s legacy as a global epicenter.

Celebrate Korea at Rockefeller Center is presented in partnership with the Korea Tourism Organization, and will honor Korean culture alongside Lincoln Center’s Korean Arts Week. The festivities at Rockefeller Center will celebrate Korean artists, authors, chefs, entertainers, and fashion designers, including the culinary team of NARO’s JP & Ellia Park, and will feature two on-site exhibitions of Korean art.

Celebrate Korea at Rockefeller Center is open to the public, free of charge.

Public Art Exhibitions
Johyun Gallery Exhibition (Now through July 22nd)

• Origin, Emergence, Return celebrates modern and contemporary Korean art through the works of Park Seo-Bo, Lee Bae, and Jin Meyerson– each a leading artistic voice of his generation and beyond. The exhibition will feature over 70 works and will explore three generations of Korean art from the 20th century to the present.
• Tuesday to Saturday, 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM (Mondays by appointment only)
• The Rink Level Gallery at Rockefeller Center, located at 610 5th Ave at Rink Level, nearby NARO
• Issu du Feu, Lee Bae’s 21-foot site-specific sculpture of stacked charcoals, explores the materiality and purified presence of Korean culture. Lee is the first Korean artist to present an outdoor sculpture at the Channel Gardens at Rockefeller Center.
• Paintings by the Korean-German artist Jongsuk Yoon and Korean American artist Jin Meyerson are on view in the lobby of the Simon & Schuster Building at 1230 Avenue of the Americas at Rockefeller Center.

Discovery: 12 Contemporary Artists from Korea (July 18th – August 27th | The Rink Level)

• A contemporary Korean art exhibition, Spotlight: 12 Contemporary Artists from Korea was curated by Artue and will highlight younger and emerging Korean artists, including Sungsic Moon, Chan-wook Park, Jina Park, Heejoon Lee, HaSeulLin Jeong, Chansong Kim, Hyundoo Jung, Hyun Seung Eui, Eunu Lee, Seok Cho, Yoonhee Na, Hyeon-A Cho. Demonstrating the wide spectrum of some of Korea’s most notable talents’ artistic practices, the exhibition will offer a glimpse into the present state and future potential of Korean art.

The following activations are presented by the Korea Tourism Organization and will be free and open to the public from July 19th to July 22nd.

Live Drawing by Korean Pop Artist YOYOJIN (2 to 5pm | Center Plaza)
Pop Artist YOYOJIN, will create a live drawing on Center Plaza in honor of the 70th anniversary of the Korea-US alliance. Renowned for his use of vibrant and vivid colors that seamlessly fill the canvas, YOYOJIN’s artwork will come to life before the eyes of Rockefeller Center visitors. As an interactive experience, each day offers opportunities for Rockefeller Center visitors to actively engage with the piece by coloring the art as it is being drawn.

Korean Cuisine & Refreshments (11am to 7pm | Center Plaza)
As part of the celebration, guests will be invited to savor the flavors of traditional Korean cuisine and refreshing beverages. In collaboration with bb.q Chicken, food offerings will include Korean fried chicken, alongside a sample of non-alcoholic Korean beer known as “Chimaek.” Complimentary refreshments will include a sampling of a Korean citrus juice and grapefruit slush by Damtuh. Korea Ginseng Corporation will also showcase Korean Ginseng drinks and traditional Korean games will be presented.

Korean Beauty & Wellness (11am to 7pm | 55 W 49th Street (between 5th and 6th Avenues)
A pop-up retail space will offer guests the opportunity to experience Korean skincare and makeup products, accompanied by enriching wellness programming. Visitors will have the chance to explore a wide range of Korean cosmetics brands available in the United States. Professional artists specializing in Korean make-up, hair, and nails will be available to introduce Korean beauty products to attendees. In addition, doctors from the National Institute for Korean Medicine Development will introduce participants to Korean tea therapy, the creation of perfume bags from herbal medicine, as well as physique analysis, the assessment of an individual’s stress index and skin type. Thermal massage chairs will also be available, coupled with a guided meditation. RESERVE YOUR APPOINTMENT

Hanbok Exhibition (11:00 AM to 7:00 PM | Center Plaza)
A Hanbok Exhibition on Center Plaza will invite visitors to learn about traditional and modern hanboks, Korean clothing often associated with special occasions and traditional ceremonies. In collaboration with the Korean fashion brand Danha, visitors will have the opportunity to try on hanboks, have their photo taken, and learn more about these traditional garments.

Visit Korea – Tourism Information (11:00 AM to 7:00 PM | Center Plaza)
Representatives of the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) will be on-site to promote Korea’s captivating destinations, flight options and the Visit Korea Year 2023-2024 campaign. AR and VR monitors will display Korean dramas and cultural events, and Korean characters Hojong and Mugom will greet visitors at KTO’s virtual kiosk.