The Korean-American Society of Greater Kansas City (KASGKC) held its 5th annual KC Arirang Festival on Sept. 28 in the Student Union, showcasing Korean culture.
This event, held on the third and fourth floors of the Student Union, brought in people from all around Kansas City to see the exhibition of Korean traditions.
A lot of work went into creating the festival, with many staff members all playing their own part to make it a great event.
“I hope that they [attendees] will learn more about Korea,” said June Cho, the event coordinator. “When they come in they might not know anything, but when they leave they will know about Korean dances, some martial art and Korean food. We do it for the community.”
KASGKC originally hosted this Arirang festival in Overland Park, but this year, they changed it to a more permanent location at UMKC. Cho said that KASGKC hopes to keep a relationship with UMKC so that people start to associate this event with the campus.
Along with the main members of the staff were UMKC student volunteers helping with the traditional Korean games.
“The goal of this event is to bring Korean culture to everyone else, and share it with people here in Kansas City,” said Justin Wu, a sophomore in the six-year med program. “I got involved because I’m part of the Korean Student Association here at UMKC, and I love to share my culture.”
Korean culture was showcased on stage with K-pop performances, traditional Korean dancing, a Taekwondo presentation, singing and a traditional Korean wedding. The bride and groom for the wedding were dressed in vibrant colors and patterns.
“The Korean community here is really tight through both church communities and outside of that,” said Daniel Kim, the groom. “That’s how we got connected through multiple leaderships here in Greater Kansas City.”
Rebecca and Daniel Kim, the bride and groom, are well-connected in the Korean community in Kansas City and were able to teach the audience about this once-conventional tradition.
“We’re going to be demonstrating the traditional way Korean wedding ceremonies used to be held way before the Korean republic was established,” said Kim. “In the Joseon dynasty, this is how they carried out their wedding ceremonies.”
Audience members learned more about traditional weddings and enjoyed the wide array of food and cultural experiences.
Ryan Lee, a senior studying computer science, said that he and his friends really enjoyed the first day of the event, so they decided to come back a second day. Lee said that the event was great and really showcased Korean culture.
To stay connected with KASGKC follow them on Instagram or visit their website.
