About
Language. Culture. Community. Power.
Korean American Center was founded with a clear purpose: to reclaim, preserve, and share Korean language and culture—while building bridges across generations, communities, and cultures.
Our Story
We started the Korean American Center to reclaim what was lost in the name of assimilation—our language, our culture, and the inheritance of a history that spans over 5,000 years of story, struggle, and survival.
Our parents were told that speaking Korean to us would hold us back from succeeding, so they stopped. We were taught to let go of our language, our names, our culture. And for many of us, that’s precisely what happened. Only later, as we became parents ourselves, did we realize we had nothing left to pass down. No language to share. No way to connect our children to their grandparents. No tools to carry forward the stories, values, and traditions that shaped us.
That loss isn’t just cultural, it’s deeply personal. It shows up in fractured conversations, in the silence between generations, and in the ache of not fully belonging anywhere. We understand this pain, and we are here to validate it. It affects how we relate to our elders, how we see ourselves, and what we’re able to hand down to the next generation.
We founded the Korean American Center to break that cycle – to rebuild what assimilation tried to erase and to create a space where the Korean language and culture are not only preserved but also lived, taught, and celebrated. Because this isn’t just about learning a language, it’s about reclaiming who we are, reconnecting our communities, and ensuring that future generations never have to start from scratch.
We don’t just teach Korean. We restore connection. We build community.
We create understanding and a future worth passing on.
Through Korean language and culture education, we create pathways for communication, mutual understanding, and shared pride. But our work goes far beyond the classroom. We believe that access to language and culture is a basic right—and a foundation for community strength. That’s why we also provide free youth leadership opportunities, support linguistically isolated seniors, offer immigration guidance, and connect families to essential services like food assistance. We meet our community where they are, and help them move forward—together.
Our Journey From Grassroots Group To National Leader
Our roots trace back to 2013 as a group of like-minded individuals seeking deeper connection through Korean language and culture. What started as informal gatherings quickly evolved into a vibrant hub for cultural exchange welcoming people of all backgrounds. In 2015, that shared vision became something more permanent with the official founding of Korean American Center as a nonprofit organization based in Irvine, CA. From the start, we’ve been committed to providing accessible, high-quality Korean language education and meaningful cultural programming—always centering community voices and advancing Korean American empowerment.
Our Origin Story
2013
Founded as an informal group of likeminded individuals in Orange County, CA seeking to reclaim Korean language and gain a deeper connection to the Korean culture and community through weekly meetings and language exchanges.
Becoming a Nonprofit
2015
Formally established as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization committed empowering the Korean American community and building bridges with the broader community.
STARTALK GRANT Award Recepient
2018-2023
Awarded the highly competitive STARTALK grant by the National Security Agency to advance Korean education because it is a language critical to national security of the United States.
Irvine King Sejong Institute Designation
2018
Officially designated as a King Sejong Institute by South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, joining a worldwide network. Today we are 1 of 13 in the United States.
WASC Accreditation
2025
Achieved WASC accreditation, becoming the first and only Korean language center in the U.S. nationally recognized for excellence and academic rigor, allowing our learners to obtain academic credit.
Today:
National Impact
We have become the gold standard in Korean language education in the United States, serving thousands of students and families nationwide - advancing Korean language, culture, and community.
2018 marked a transformative year for our organization and reach.
✔ We merged with Korean Community Services (KCS Health Center), allowing us to expand our reach and impact. Though we later returned to independent operations, we maintain a strong, strategic partnership with KCS—working closely together to strengthen and support the Korean American community.
✔ We were designated as a King Sejong Institute, joining a global network supported by South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to promote Korean language and culture worldwide.
✔ We became a recipient of the highly competitive STARTALK grant, awarded by the National Security Agency to advance critical language education. KAC was selected every year through 2023—an extraordinary achievement that positioned us as a national leader in Korean language education.
Today, Korean American Center is the first and only WASC-accredited Korean language center in the U.S., nationally recognized for excellence in language instruction, cultural engagement, and bridging generations. We serve a diverse and growing community—ensuring Korean heritage thrives for generations to come.
