On Duty in Budapest

Meet a School of Visual Arts Student Intern at the Korean Cultural Center in Hungary

I’m Hyunbin Kim, majoring in Art Theory at the Korea National University of Arts. I’m currently an intern at the Korean Cultural Center in Hungary, where I support event planning and operations. 

At the Korean Cultural Center, I help plan and run events, create and translate promotional materials, and assist with on-site operations. Among these experiences, the most memorable was KoreaON, held in June. The 7th KoreaON (Korea Day), a two-day festival, is the largest Korean cultural festival in Hungary and attracted approximately 17,000 visitors this year. During the festival, I supported invited Korean artists, collaborated with local organizations and partners, and assisted with the overall operation of the event.

Watching familiar aspects of Korean culture—such as K-pop dance, traditional dance, food, and beauty—take on new forms through the creativity of local people was truly inspiring. I realized that Korean culture is not simply passed down in a fixed form; it continues to evolve naturally here in Budapest, shaped by the people who embrace it. It felt like much more than simply saying that "Hungary and Korea had come together."

While preparing for the festival, I was focused only on the tasks that needed to be completed. But once the event began, seeing visitors dance, laugh, and enjoy Korean food made all the hard work fade away. In that moment, I realized that an event is not brought to life only by what happens on stage, but also by the many people who make it possible behind the scenes. Seeing people solve unexpected challenges together reminded me that cultural events are ultimately built on collaboration. The experience showed me that culture continues to grow through people, taking on new meaning in different places.