Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange

Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange, usually shortened to KOFICE, is the institution the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism designated to handle international cultural exchange at scale. Its official English materials say the foundation was established in 2003, then formally designated for this role in 2018. That positioning makes KOFICE less like a simple grant desk and more like the connective tissue behind how Korea organizes culture abroad.

That institutional role is why KOFICE matters to the Touring K-Arts story. The foundation is part of the operating spine that lets projects move through overseas hubs such as the Korean Cultural Center New York, while giving programs featuring groups like LEE.K Dance a repeatable route into international audiences. In practice, KOFICE helps turn Hallyu from headline moments into a durable circulation system.