MKDC

Bio

MKDC is a K-pop performance team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, offering live performances and dance workshops for festivals, cultural events, schools, universities, corporate events, and brand events across Minnesota and the United States.

MKDC, short for Minnesota Kpop Dance Crew, is a K-pop performance team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Founded on September 13, 2013 and led by Director Kyungyoon Kim, MKDC performs at festivals, Korean cultural events, schools, universities, conventions, corporate programs, and brand events across Minnesota and the United States.

MKDC members train throughout the year in choreography, synchronization, stage expression, and group performance. The team presents K-pop dance performances and cover dance stages for live audiences and also offers workshops and educational programs. Performances can be adapted for family-friendly public events, cultural celebrations, schools, universities, and commercial partnerships.

MKDC has earned awards at several U.S. K-pop dance competitions. In 2017, the team placed first in the dance division at the K-pop World Festival Dallas preliminary. In 2018, MKDC LOL won the U.S. final of the K-pop Cover Dance Festival, becoming the USA Champion and representing the United States at the world final in Seoul, South Korea. That same year, MKDC placed first in the dance category at the K-pop World Festival Los Angeles final with a performance of BTS’s “Fake Love.” In 2019, MKDC placed third in the Minnesota State Fair Talent Contest.

MKDC also presents the Midwest K-pop Festival, a Minnesota K-pop event that has been held at venues including the University of Minnesota and Mall of America. The team has organized, administered, and judged the KBS Changwon K-pop World Festival U.S. Midwest preliminaries. Official records from Mall of America, Korean cultural organizations, universities, and community organizations document MKDC’s work as a festival presenter, competition administrator, performer, and K-pop dance workshop instructor.

MKDC’s industry, venue, and cultural partners have included HYBE, Meta Oculus, Kakao Entertainment, MUSINSA Global, DJI, ALAND USA, Mall of America, the Korean Cultural Center Los Angeles, Studio PAV, and Consulates General of the Republic of Korea. MKDC has also participated in promotional and performance projects connected with BTS, P1Harmony, AMPERS&ONE, NOWADAYS, Wonder Girls, Oh My Girl, Crayon Pop, Kingdom, GreatGuys, and other K-pop artists.

MKDC is the performance team. MKDC Academy is its public K-pop dance education program for people who want to learn K-pop choreography and dance. Performance, workshop, event, and collaboration inquiries can be submitted through the Book MKDC page.

Stage Highlights

SHORTs

Media coverage

VoyageMinnesota

Minnesota StarTribune

MINNPOST

The Minnesota Daily

Los Angeles Times

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Korean Consulate General in Los Angeles

SBS (Seoul Broadcasting System) News

MBC America News

The Seoul Shinmun (The Seoul Newspaper)

Press & Editorial Coverage

  1. VoyageMinnesota, Rising Stars: Meet MKDC, a profile of MKDC’s development since 2013 as a Twin Cities K-pop performance team specializing in K-pop cover dance.

  2. Minnesota Star Tribune, Why Minnesotans Love “Squid Game,” BTS and Everything Else South Korean, a feature on Korean culture in Minnesota that identifies MKDC as an award-winning Minneapolis dance troupe and follows the team in rehearsal.

  3. MinnPost, MKDC Puts the MN in Kpop, an in-depth profile of MKDC’s origins, competition history, workshops, performances, and role in Minnesota’s growing K-pop community.

  4. The Minnesota Daily, Kick Off Your Year with Kpop, a feature on MKDC’s intensive training and the growth of the Minnesota Kpop Festival at the University of Minnesota.

  5. Los Angeles Times, K-Pop Invades Gleeful Monte Vista Elementary, coverage of MKDC’s school performances in Southern California that identifies the group as a two-time U.S. national champion and a leading Midwest K-pop performance team.

  6. Bring Me The News, Mall of America to Host K-Pop World Festival Dance Competition, coverage of the 2024 Changwon K-pop World Festival Midwest preliminary at Mall of America, hosted by MKDC.

  7. KoreaPortal, KCON New York 2018: Music Was Cut While Group Performed BTS’s “Fake Love,” Then ARMYs Did This, coverage of MKDC’s KCON New York performance and the audience singing along after the music stopped.

  8. K-Popped!, A Fiery Good Time at Minnesota’s Midwest K-pop Festival, a review of the 2016 Midwest K-pop Festival featuring several performances by MKDC.

  9. Korean Quarterly, Mall of America Booms with Kpop, Percussion and Dance, coverage of the 2022 Korean Culture Festival at Mall of America featuring MKDC and other Korean cultural performance groups.

  10. Korean Quarterly, Korean Culture Festival Set for Mall of America, an event feature listing MKDC as the K-pop performance team for the 2024 Korean Culture Festival.

  11. Thrifty Minnesota, Korean Culture Festival at Mall of America, a local event preview highlighting MKDC’s K-pop performance at the festival.

  12. Project 1004, Celebrating Korean Culture: A Recap of the 2025 Midwest KPOP Festival and MN Korean Culture Festival, a festival recap covering MKDC’s history and its performance at the combined Midwest K-pop and Minnesota Korean Culture Festival.

  13. The Korea Daily, 달라스 뜨겁게 달군 K-Pop 열기 ‘Pick Me Up’, Korean-language coverage of MKDC winning first place in the dance division at the 2017 K-pop World Festival Dallas preliminary.

  14. The Korea Times, “한국 초청 되어 꿈만 같아…서울에서 더 멋진 공연”, Korean-language coverage of MKDC LOL winning the 2018 U.S. K-pop Cover Dance Festival final and receiving an invitation to compete in Seoul.

  15. The Seoul Shinmun, ‘2018 K-POP 커버댄스 페스티벌’ 미주 본선, 뜨겁고 치열했다, coverage of MKDC LOL winning the 2018 U.S. final of the K-pop Cover Dance Festival.

  16. The Seoul Shinmun, 자로 잰 듯 완벽한 칼군무…지구촌 케이팝 팬 18만명 홀리다, coverage of the 2018 global K-pop Cover Dance Festival final in Seoul, where MKDC represented the United States.

  17. The Korea Times, “갈수록 뜨거워지는 K-팝 열기…아이돌 콘서트 방불케 해”, Korean-language coverage of MKDC winning the dance category at the 2018 K-pop World Festival Los Angeles final.

  18. The Korea Daily, ‘K-Pop 월드 페스티벌’ BTS 열풍에 수준 더 높아져, coverage of MKDC winning the 2018 Los Angeles competition with a performance of BTS’s “Fake Love.”

  19. Hankyung, ‘심플리 케이팝 콘투어’ 미국 편, 정동원·라필루스 등 출연, Korean entertainment coverage featuring an interview with MKDC and identifying the team as a K-pop Cover Dance Festival USA Champion.

  20. Arirang TV, SIMPLY K-POP CONTOUR: United States, an official broadcast release introducing MKDC as a U.S. K-pop cover dance team and USA Champion.

  21. The Korea Daily, 찾아가는 문화 공연, coverage of the 2021 Korea Week cultural outreach program, which brought traditional Korean performances and K-pop dance to ten LAUSD schools. MKDC participated as the program’s only K-pop performance team.

  22. SBS News, 2021 Korea Week Outreach Cultural Performances, a news segment covering the school outreach program presented during Korea Week by the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Los Angeles and the Korean Cultural Center Los Angeles. The report features MKDC as the program’s only K-pop performance team.

  23. C1 News, Minnesota Korean Culture Festival, Korean press coverage of the 2022 Minnesota Korean Culture Festival, co-hosted by the Korean American Association of Minnesota and the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Chicago, identifying MKDC as one of the event’s featured K-pop performance groups.

Official & Institutional References

  1. University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Korean Culture Day Is Oct. 20, an official university article listing an MKDC performance and two K-pop dance workshops as part of Korean Culture Day.

  2. University of Minnesota Northrop, MKF 2015: Minnesota Kpop Festival, an archived event page identifying Minnesota Kpop Dance Crew as the festival presenter and organizer.

  3. University of Minnesota Northrop, Midwest K-POP Festival 2016, an archived event page documenting the third annual festival presented by MKDC and VS Entertainment.

  4. University of Minnesota Northrop, Midwest Kpop Festival 2017, an archived event page documenting MKDC’s continued presentation of the Midwest Kpop Festival.

  5. University of Minnesota Northrop, Midwest Kpop Festival 2021, an official event page identifying MKDC and the Korean Cultural Center Los Angeles as presenters of the festival.

  6. Minnesota’s Legacy, Dance K-Pop!, a Minnesota state project record documenting a youth K-pop dance program taught by members of Minnesota K-Pop Dance Crew.

  7. Korean Cultural Center, 한류의 중심 LA 케이콘에서 한국의 가치 알리다, an official report from the 2016 U.S. national K-pop competition at KCON LA, where MKDC placed third.

  8. Korean Cultural Center, LA에서 ‘K-POP 커버댄스 페스티벌’ 열띤 경연, an official cultural report documenting MKDC LOL’s first-place finish at the 2018 U.S. final.

  9. Korea Culture Portal, 2018 K-POP Cover Dance Festival, an official video report featuring MKDC LOL’s winning performance and interview at the 2018 U.S. final.

  10. Korean Cultural Center, 경연자들과 관객들 하나된 2018 K팝 월드 페스티벌 LA본선, an official report naming MKDC as the dance winner of the 2018 K-pop World Festival Los Angeles final.

  11. Korea Culture Portal, 2018 K-POP World Festival, an official video report featuring MKDC’s first-place “Fake Love” performance and winner interview.

  12. Korean Cultural Center, 영화 ‘기생충’을 통한 한국문화 소개 영상 시리즈 ‘제시카송편’, an official report on MKDC’s “Jessica Song” dance collaboration inspired by the film Parasite.

  13. Korean Cultural Center, 2021 K-Pop Academy, an official report on the first K-pop Academy program held in Minnesota and MKDC’s involvement in the following Midwest K-pop Festival.

  14. Korean Cultural Center, 2021 Midwest K-POP Festival 개최, an official report on the festival co-hosted by MKDC, attended by approximately 800 audience members.

  15. Korean Cultural Center, 2022 Midwest K-POP Festival 개최, an official report on MKDC and the Korean Cultural Center’s festival at Mall of America, attended by approximately 1,000 people.

  16. Korean Cultural Center, 찾아가는 K-컬처 전통문화 및 전통미술 체험, an official report on MKDC’s performance and K-pop dance workshop at the Korean Language Village in Minnesota.

  17. Mall of America Podcast, Inside Minnesota’s Growing K-pop Scene, an official Mall of America podcast episode discussing its partnership with MKDC and the Midwest K-pop Festival.

  18. Feedspot, 70 Kpop YouTubers You Must Follow in 2026, a K-pop creator directory featuring MKDC as a Minnesota performance team and organizer of the annual Midwest Kpop Festival.

  19. Korean American Association of Minnesota, 2024 K-pop World Festival U.S. Midwest Preliminary and MKF, an official post identifying MKDC Producer Volcano Kim as the event lead for the 2024 K-pop World Festival U.S. Midwest Preliminary and Midwest K-pop Festival at Mall of America, hosted by the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Chicago and organized by the Korean American Association of Minnesota.

  20. Ewha Womans University United Alumnae Chapters of North America, Minnesota Chapter News, an institutional report identifying MKDC as a Minnesota-based K-pop dance group that performed at the Minnesota Korean Culture Festival at Mall of America alongside traditional Korean arts groups.

  21. Mall of America, MKF 2022 Contest Rules and Regulations, an official Mall of America record documenting MKDC’s administrative role in the 2022 Midwest Kpop Festival cover dance contest, including performance approvals and authority over contest prizes.

Press Photos

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