Calling all rising K-Pop stars! The Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. is proud to announce the Changwon K-Pop World Festival DC, our regional round of the 2018 Changwon K-Pop World Festival. This global competition, known in previous years simply as the K-Pop World Festival, aims to discover the next generation of K-Pop stars from around the world, offering slick prizes a chance to compete on stage at the world finals in Korea!

For complete details on the competition and how to take part, scroll down or visit the KCC website HERE.

Overview

Regional competitions for the 2018 Changwon K-Pop World Festival are being held worldwide this summer, and the world finals are scheduled for October 5 in Changwon, Korea. For Washington, D.C., an Online Preliminary will accept entries until July 17, from which four artists or groups will be selected (announced July 20) to advance to the Regional Final on August 4, during the KCC’s special celebration event, All About That Hallyu, which will take place at the KCC (details coming soon).

The Regional Final will follow a live audition format where contestants perform for a panel of judges as they vie for the top spot. Regional Final winners will be selected that same day. For each regional competition around the world, including Washington, D.C., the first place winners in dance and vocal (one from each category) will then also be considered for participation in the world finals in Korea, using their Regional Final performance as a video entry. Those who are selected for the world finals will be invited to go to Korea and perform live. 

How to Take Part

To compete in the 2018 Changwon K-Pop World Festival DC, contestants must meet the eligibility requirements listed below, complete the online application form, and submit any needed multimedia files with the application. Be sure to read all the details below before applying (visit the KCC website HERE for details and the form). 

Everyone is welcome to join All About That Hallyu on August 4 and enjoy the Regional Finals performances, including the general public. All those who enter the Online Preliminary are especially encouraged to attend to enjoy the event and support their fellow contestants who will perform. Finalist performers that day should plan to stay until the end of the event, as they must be present for the announcement of results.

Eligibility Requirements

Contestants don’t need to be professional performers—everyone with a passion for K-Pop is welcome to enter!

Because the Changwon K-Pop World Festival is intended to spotlight passion for K-Pop abroad and for learning the Korean language, those with Korean citizenship, or who have held Korean citizenship in the past, and those with at least one parent who has Korean citizenship or has held Korean citizenship in the past, are not eligible to compete.

Those in the U.S. on a short term or tourism basis at the time of the audition are not eligible to compete; however, international students, non-U.S. citizens, and U.S. citizens can still be eligible, as long as they are currently living in the U.S., such as for school or another long-term purpose. Contestants do not need to be locals of the Washington, D.C. region to enter.

Those who have already been awarded first or second place in another K-Pop World Festival regional competition in 2018 are not eligible for the K-Pop World Festival DC competition.

Contestants found not to have adhered to these requirements at any point may be immediately disqualified.

Competition Categories & Criteria

Those taking part in the Changwon K-Pop World Festival DC can compete as a group (team) or as an individual, and in one of two categories:

• Vocal (primarily live singing or vocal art; dance optional)
• Performance (primarily dance; singing optional, or as a pre-recorded track)

Judging criteria will be based as follows on the competition category chosen:

Vocal Category

• vocal proficiency: 60%
• vocal expression and pronunciation: 20%
• stage charisma: 20%

Performance Category

• choreography (composition and uniformity): 40%
• technique: 30%
• stage charisma: 30%

Winners & Prizes

The following prizes will be awarded in the DC Regional Final, with winners selected on the day of the audition:

• 1st Place in Vocal: Consideration for the Changwon K-Pop World Festival finals in Korea, plus a slick prize! (TBD)
• 2nd Place in Vocal: A slick prize! (TBD)
• 1st Place in Performance: Consideration for the Changwon K-Pop World Festival finals in Korea, plus a slick prize! (TBD)
• 2nd Place in Vocal: A slick prize! (TBD)

Note: only the two 1st place winners in Performance and Vocal (one in each category) will be considered for possible invitation to the world finals (unless a first place winner is not present for the announcements of results, in which case a runner up might be selected for consideration). The process of consideration for the world finals will be done by judges in Korea based on the recording from our Regional Final, and the results will be announced in the weeks following our August 4 DC Regional Final.