Korean government institutions in Los Angeles are organizing a “2024 Korea Month” event throughout October in honor of National Foundation Day (Gaecheonjeol). The organizers plan to introduce Korea to the mainstream community by focusing on Korean history, traditions, pop culture, and food.
On September 26, the Korean Consulate General in Los Angeles announced the launch of the Korea Month event in collaboration with the Korean Cultural Center, the Korean Education Center, and the Korea Foundation, which will host a total of 16 programs. The event is an expansion of the Korea Week program that the Consulate General started in 2022. This year, the program has expanded to Arizona.
According to the Consulate General, the program focuses on promoting Korean history and cultural competency among English-speaking residents through Korean art, movies, language, food, and K-pop.
The first event of the month kicked off on September 26 with “Rising K-Classic,” hosted by the Korean Cultural Center, Los Angeles.
Korean-American vocalists and instrumentalists from Southern California took the stage to perform a variety of genres, including opera, song, and musical.
On October 2 at 6 p.m., the Korean Consulate General will host a Korean National Foundation Day Reception at the consulate general’s residence in Los Angeles. Invited attendees will be able to enjoy traditional Korean food and Korean cultural performances while celebrating the 4357th National Foundation Anniversary. Organizers will also present a hanbok fashion show.
On October 5 and 6, the “2024 Study in Korea College Fair” will be held at The Source OC in Buena Park, featuring 35 Korean universities.
The Korean Education Center has established a study abroad center in Los Angeles to provide information to students who want to study at Korean universities.
Other events include a Korean Poetry Recitation Contest on October 7, the fifth anniversary of Hangeul Day in California at the La Crescenta Library on October 10, a seminar on Korean foreign policy at the San Diego World Affairs Council on October 12, and a Korean-U.S. Friendship Night at the Consulate General’s residence on October 19.
Academic conferences also stand out. USC will host a K-Pop Symposium on October 18, Arizona State University organized a Korean Studies Lecture, Exploring Korean Society, on October 25, and the Korean Association of San Diego will host Korean American Youth Root Education and Identity Seminar on October 26.
“This year, we are expanding the scope of Korea Month events to Southern California and Arizona to provide more people with the opportunity to experience Korean culture,” said Los Angeles Korean Consul General Youngwan Kim. ”We look forward to welcoming residents to experience first-hand the rich culture of Korea and broaden their understanding.”
BY HYOUNGJAE KIM, HOONSIK WOO [kim.ian@koreadaily.com]
