Korea National University of Heritage (KNUH, President Kang Kyung-hwan) announced the successful conclusion of its “K-Heritage Field Study” program, held from July 2 to July 13. This national heritage convergence education program for foreign exchange students was conducted across the university’s main campus in Buyeo, South Chungcheong Province, the K-Heritage International Center, and major cultural heritage sites in Seoul, Buyeo, and Jeonju.
Now in its third year, the K-Heritage Field Study is an annual summer program hosted by KNUH’s K-Heritage International Center. The program was designed to reexamine the value of Korean traditional crafts and national heritage through the lens of the “artisan spirit,” while offering international students systematic access to Korean heritage education. This year’s program marked a notable milestone, introducing for the first time a mixed cohort of 4 Korean and 8 international students who studied and traveled together, deepening the program’s spirit of intercultural exchange.
Structured around a four-stage curriculum — Material, Technique, Fieldwork, and Reflection — the two-week program combined theoretical instruction with immersive, hands-on experience. In Buyeo, participants attended expert lectures at KNUH and the National Buyeo Museum on ceramics, traditional costume, cuisine, and architecture, then practiced traditional Korean knot-making (maedeup) to put that learning into practice. In Jeonju, students stayed in the Jeonju Hanok Village, experiencing firsthand the structure and everyday life of a traditional Korean house, and tried their hand at making kimchi. In Seoul, the program continued with a class on hanok architecture at Deoksugung Palace, a traditional performance at the National Gugak Center, and lectures on royal and contemporary craftsmanship at the National Palace Museum of Korea and the Seoul Museum of Craft Art. Through this progression, participants gained a well-rounded understanding of Korean heritage, moving fluidly between theory and practice across a range of disciplines.
As Korea’s only special-purpose national university dedicated to heritage education, KNUH has operated the “K-Heritage Academy” since 2023 to give international participants systematic opportunities to engage with Korea’s national heritage. This field study was the second of three courses in the 2026 K-Heritage Academy; the first, “2026 K-Heritage Day” (May 14), welcomed members of the diplomatic corps in Korea, and the third, the “K-Heritage Leadership Program” for global cultural leaders, is scheduled for the second half of the year.
The Korea Heritage Service’s Korea National University of Heritage plans to continue expanding programs that share the value of Korean national heritage with the world, contributing to its international recognition and standing.