Korean culture unfurls to festival crowd
By Will Hoover
Advertiser Staff Writer
Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser
The first Korean immigrants arrived in America via Honolulu on Jan. 13, 1903 — and for the next 99 years, Korean settlers here pretty much held their tongues about it.
Dancers from the Lim Eun-Joo Studio of Suwan City, South Korea, perform at the Korean Festival, which continues today at Kapi'olani Park. The festival celebrates Korean-American life as well as traditions of the homeland.
Two years ago, the community broke with that tradition in a big way and threw a daylong Korean Festival at Kapi'olani Park, which was a dress rehearsal in anticipation of last year's colossal Korean centennial celebration.
An estimated 35,000 people attended the second festival, which capped off a week of activities aimed at acquainting Islanders with Hawai'i's Korean-American culture and its country of origin.
That event proved so popular, some were saying it should become an annual event. Yesterday, that hope became official.
"This is going to be an annual tradition," said Donald Kim, who was the national chairman of the Centennial Committee.
This year's theme: "The New Century."
Kim welcomed swarms of visitors to the third annual Korean Festival — a two-day affair featuring all the cultural music, dancing, singing, food, art and dazzling costumes folks have come to expect. The festival ends this evening at 6.
"At the final meeting of the national Centennial Committee which was held in New York on Oct. 30 ... it was unanimously decided by the delegates that Jan. 13 be designated as Korean American Day," Kim told the crowd gathered around the Kapi'olani Bandstand.
ABOVE: Hyoncha Koga, who directed the cultural tent, displayed her maldduki masks, which are used for stage performances. Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser
Festival co-chairman Andre Lee,, who predicted last year it would turn into a two-day event, said he's hoping this year's crowd will exceed 60,000. "And besides that, next Saturday we're having one on Maui," said Lee.
TOP: Marisa Higa, who is half Korean and wanted to be photographed in a traditional hambok, found the opportunity at the festival's photo booth where she sat for Jordan Wong. Higa, who is familiar with her Japanese roots, wanted to know more about Korea.
Lee's sister, Kristine Lee, was working the photo booth where visitors could have their picture taken wearing traditional Korean attire. She said she sensed that many were coming to the booth as a way to connect with their cultural past.
"I would say that 95 percent of all the people we've photographed are part Korean," she said. "I guess they want to reacquaint themselves with their Korean ancestry."
One such person was Marisa Higa, half Japanese, half Korean, who was photographed in a hambok, a traditional casual Korean dress.
"My mom has a picture of me in a traditional Japanese kimono, and she wanted one of me in Korean dress," said Higa, who said she knows less about her Korean roots and would be interested in understanding more.
Hyoncha Koga, who has directed the cultural tent at all three Korean Festivals, agreed that there is renewed interest in all things Korean. Among other things, this festival features bamboo products from Damyang County and green tea from Boseong County, both in Jeollanam-Do province.
A highlight among Koga's cultural displays were examples of hanji, Korean mulberry paper, sometimes called "rice paper." Though soft and delicate looking, hanji is so rugged that, if properly handled, it can last for centuries, said Koga.
"This paper is superior because of the soil and climate the tree bark comes from," said Koga, who held up a book made of hanji that's well over 100 years old. She also had modern hanji made by the Cheon Yang paper company from Jeonju City.
The festival focuses on Korean American and South Korean ways of life. Few if any products, costumes or foods were examples of North Korean culture. But festival organizer Minwoo Shin holds out hope that one day that, too, will change.
"Maybe in the future," said Shin. "Why not? Each year we'll have a different theme. If we choose unification as a theme, it could happen. Our goal is to form a bridge between the United States and all Korea — North and South. Nothing is impossible."
Reach Will Hoover at 525-8038 or at whoover@honoluluadvertiser.com.
