A Feast of Korean Dance Unfolds in San Francisco

On October 3, the Korean American Association of San Francisco & Bay Area, led by president Kim Han-il, held a special cultural event at its community center, co-organized with the Korean Consulate General and about 80 Northern California Korean groups. The event marked three anniversaries: 81 years since Korea's liberation, 250 years since U.S. independence, and 50 years of San Francisco–Seoul sister-city ties.

The headline act was the Biseul dance troupe, visiting from Korea. Its two-part program mixed traditional dances such as hwagwanmu, the fan dance and the sogo drum dance with pansori and new contemporary works. Consuls general and diplomats from Greece, Australia, China, Norway, Italy and other countries attended. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon sent video greetings thanking the local Korean community for helping connect the two cities. Consul General Lim Jung-taek explained that the show was added so the wider community could see the troupe, since space at the Consulate's October 5 reception was limited.

After the performance, flowers and gifts were exchanged with the troupe and Seoul city officials. Students from the Hwarang Youth Foundation also ran a voter-registration drive for seniors at the event.