The Korean Friendship Bell, a symbol of friendship between South Korea and the United States, requires refurbishment after its last refurbishment 10 years ago.
After receiving 300 million won (approximately $275,000 at the time) from the Korean government in 2013, the bell was completely refurbished. However, its exposure to sea breeze and the passage of time have caused it to deteriorate again.
On April 16, Chairman Sang Joon Park and Director Young Kim of the Korean Friendship Bell Preservation Committee met with General Manager Jimmy Kim of the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks. They discussed plans for the bell’s refurbishment and cooperation between the government and the department to finance the project.
“The Korean Friendship Bell will celebrate its 50th anniversary in two years,” said Sang Joon Park, chairman of the Preservation Committee. “And as it has a long history, it needs to be refurbished.”
“In particular, the tiles of the bell tower are in a serious state of decay and need to be replaced. The bell itself is not in a very deteriorated condition, but it is corroding due to sea winds and climate change,” he explained.
Funding is a problem. The City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, which owns the property, has limited expertise in maintaining the bell and limited funding, according to the preservation committee.
According to the preservation committee, San Pedro’s Angels Gate Park, home to several cultural installations including the Korean Friendship Bell, is maintained by five or six full-time employees. However, they are unable to provide in-depth care beyond gardening and cleaning.
The meeting with General Manager Jimmy Kim was the first formal meeting, and while not all issues were covered in depth, the preservation committee said it promised continued cooperation in the future.
The Korea Daily’s attempt to reach Kim on April 18 was unsuccessful.
The South Korean government has reportedly been somewhat indifferent in its support for the refurbishment.
“The Korean government officials who met with us last year were saying that the maintenance costs should be paid by the recipient of the gift,” Park said.
In 2013, the Korean Friendship Bell was refurbished for the first time in 37 years due to severe deterioration. At that time, the bell received 300 million won (approximately $275K) from the South Korean government for debris removal, surface painting, and repairs to the steel-reinforced concrete and Dancheong (traditional coloring on wooden buildings and artifacts in Korea).
Experts had predicted that the refurbishment would keep the bell in good condition for the next 10 to 15 years.
However, 10 years later, the deterioration has progressed rapidly again, and there is no promised financial support to preserve the bell.
Moreover, finding specialized labor is challenging.
“The experts who built and installed the bells 47 years ago have already passed away,” Park noted. “And there are no bell experts in the Korean-American community. There are still some bell experts in Korea, but not many, and it is not easy to bring them over to repair the Korean Friendship Bell,” Park said.
Park emphasized the urgent need for attention from the Korean-American community.
“If it is an issue that is being neglected in both countries, the Korean-American community should take an active interest and systematically request a solution,” Park said. “The Korean-American community should work together to raise funds through fundraising activities so that they can have a voice in the city government.”
BY SUAH JANG, JUNHAN PARK [jang.suah@koreadaily.com]
