Alexandra Phelps | Contributing Writer
The Korean Wave, or Hallyu, swept over Americans in the mid-2000s, introducing audiences to South Korean culture primarily through its music, which gained popularity with the rise of the internet. Starting in the 2010s, Korean media became mainstream in the United States.
PSY’s “Gangnam Style” reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, BTS first attended the American Music Awards in 2017, “Parasite” won Best Picture at the Oscars in 2020, and Squid Game took the world by storm in 2021.
Around the fall of 2014, Florida International University students decided to stay true to its international name and embrace this emerging culture. Just like that, the Korean Culture Club was founded.
Nowadays, the KCC holds events appreciating both the modern and traditional aspects of Korean culture—making sure fans of South Korean pop, dramas, food, and festivities can find a community to enjoy it all with right here in FIU.
“I really want to take what worked before and what didn’t work before—work with my new team,” Gisselle Vargas-Escobar, KCC president and Asian studies major, said. She detailed how her executive board’s goal is always to share things that they enjoy in Korean culture and ask, “How can we make it into a really fun event that we haven’t necessarily done before, or take events that we’ve done before and elevate them?”
In succeeding to create such lively settings, the club gains one of its most important traits: unity.
“I’ve seen people come into this club alone and leave with a group from an event that happened for just two hours,” Vargas-Escobar shared. “Then I keep seeing them with that same group of friends come over and over again, and they just build that bond. I think that’s what KCC does.”
The club’s own vice president, Brianna Machuca, would likely agree.
“I’m a really shy person to begin with, so being able to be part of the community where everybody’s so nice—they’re so friendly—they kind of, like, adopt you sometimes,” Machuca explained. “It’s super cool that we’re such a tight-knit community.”
Attendees of the 7th Annual Korean Culture and Language Festival at FIU | Irascema Castro
With their events ranging from hosting Chuseok—a harvest festival also known as Korean Thanksgiving—to K-pop karaoke (Machuca’s personal favorite), there’s something for everyone.
Even all at once, like at the Korean Culture Festival.
What started as a small banquet has expanded into a major focus of the club since 2018, now a showcase of talent for different aspects of Korean culture. With participants acting out drama scenes, singing their favorite tunes, demonstrating their taekwondo skills, or performing prepared dances, even just watching is a great time. As a bonus, the KCC’s sub-group, LYNX Dance Co.—a K-Pop dance cover team—takes part in the night’s entertainment as well.
LYNX Dance Co. perform at the Korean Culture and Language clubs’ Halloween Night event | Brianna Machuca
“I think going to events and having people who also like the same thing as you, it helps you to just open up and let your real personality be let out,” Machuca said. “You feel comfortable, you’re in a setting where you’re not going to get judged, so I think that’s what people really look for.”
This is true for Treasurer Sydnie Jenkins. Having joined the club just this past fall, she quickly became a consistent volunteer, falling in love with the club’s welcoming environment.
“I think it’s a bonding experience, it’s a safe space for people who are interested in Korean culture—everyone’s accepting,” Jenkins stated. “It’s just fun to meet people with the same interests as you and get to know them.”
And the KCC certainly works for that ‘accepting’ title. From multiple E-board members speaking Korean to others designing photocard top loaders—small plastic encasements intended to protect printed collectible photos—to fundraising among K-pop fans, the club welcomes all levels of interest in Korean culture.
For students and community members interested in the Korean Culture Club, the president left a message.
“Don’t be shy,” Vargas-Escobar said. “Bring your friends, bring yourself. We’ll always try to make an experience where you can feel comfortable, get to know something about Korean culture, and connect with your community—with everyone else who joins KCC.”
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