KOREA FOUNDATION

Korea-US Amity Celebrated at ‘Korean Night in Hawaii’

The 70th anniversary of the Korea-US alliance was celebrated with “Korean Night in Hawaii” at the Hawaii Theatre Center, jointly hosted by the Korean Consulate-General in Honolulu and the Jeollabuk-do Gugak Center.

This event was also designed to express gratitude to Hawaiians who embraced 102 Korean immigrants 120 years ago and have since created a harmonious community that is respectful of Korean and Hawaiian culture alike. The event was attended by more than 1,000 people including local residents, Korean War veterans and their families, descendants of Korean independence fighters, members of Korean associations, and US Forces personnel.

The Jeollabuk-do Gugak Center performing arts troupe presented traditional music and dances such as salpurichum, a dance for expelling evil spirits; sinawi, an improvised musical ensemble for shamanistic rituals; pansori, epic story telling through song; buchaechum, a fan dance; and nongak, or “farmers’ band music,” a traditional form of performance art and music. Particularly impressive was the orchestral music performance in the style of gugak (national music), a clear example of why Jeollabuk-do’s famed nickname is “the home of sound.” The next day, the troupe paid a visit to Moanalua High School and gave lessons on traditional dance and gugak to over 100 students enrolled in the school’s Korean language class.

“Korean Night in Hawaii” and the lessons given at the high school not only reaffirmed the mutual friendship between the US and Korea as allies, but also served as a meaningful opportunity to introduce Korean dance and music to the people of Hawaii who rarely have the chance to enjoy them firsthand.

A scene from the “Korean Night in Hawaii” performance

The traditional Korean dance and orchestral music ensemble

A traditional Korean music and dance class at Moanalua High School in Honolulu

Korean Night in Hawaii70th anniversary of the Korea-US allianceKorean Consulate-General in HonoluluJeollabuk-do Gugak CenterMoanalua High School