The LA Korean Festival, set to celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2023, is only three days away.
This year, the festival is scheduled from October 12(Thursday) to October 15(Sunday) at Seoul International Park (3250 San Marino St., LA) located in Koreatown.
Starting at 5 a.m. on October 6, the festival foundation will close certain areas to traffic to begin the setup. Parts of Olympic to San Marino, Ardmore, Normandy, and other sections will be impacted by these closures.
The LA Korean Festival Foundation, under Chief Executive Officer Moo Han Bae, promises an eventful festival, especially as 2023 marks its golden jubilee.
The Agriculture and Fisheries Expo, a highlight of the festival, will host over 120 exhibitors from 10 Korean local governments, including North Gyeongsang Province, South Gyeongsang Province, and South Jeolla Province. They’ll present a myriad of “flavors from hometown.”
North Gyeongsang Province has reserved 35 booths at the expo, showcasing a range of their regional specialties.
Yeongju City, the participant with the most exhibitors, will bring eight local agricultural and specialty product exporters. Their offerings include red ginseng, schisandra marmalade, apple juice, Cheonggukjang powder, traditional dried chips, sesame oil, and Rayon products.
South Jeolla Province, often called the “home of flavor”, sees 29 of its companies participating. Their showcase will feature foods like seaweed, salted shrimp, fresh kimchi, plum pickles, pears, frozen abalone, brown rice crackers, bamboo soybean paste, pear sticky rice punch, and Seaweed fulvescens abalone soup.
For its 50th year, the festival welcomes the Seoul Metropolitan Government. Represented by the Seoul Business Agency and Dobong District Office in Seoul, they’ll host their Korea Trade Expo (KTEX) events, introducing diverse companies to Korean Americans.
In addition, the North Gyeongsang Culture and Tourism Organization plans to set up a cultural experience center. Gangwon Province will also establish two special halls for agriculture and fisheries, independent of the main agricultural expo.
The festival stage will host 11 groups of invited entertainers. Attendees can also expect Taekwondo demonstrations, Korean traditional dances, and songs, ensuring a rich cultural experience.
“For the 50th anniversary, we’ve prepared more than ever,” said Moo Han Bae, the Chief Executive Officer. “We eagerly anticipate a large turnout and hope attendees thoroughly enjoy the festivities.”
However, challenges have arisen from the pandemic and inflation, said the organizing committee. The festival’s scheduling overlaps with the Orange County (OC) 2023 World Korean Business Convention (October 11-14), causing difficulties in recruiting entertainers, interpreters, and staff.
The foundation’s expenditures have also exceeded forecasts. “We invested an extra $20,000 to expand the stage and another $20,000 to boost security. The overall costs, including entertainer bookings, labor, and transportation, rose by about $170,000,” Bae explained.
BY SUAH JANG [jang.suah@koreadaily.com]
