Korean Festival draws crowds

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This free event was hosted by the Korean Association of Guam.

Islanders showed their love for Korean cuisine and K-pop once again at this past Saturday’s second annual Korean Festival.

This free event was hosted by the Korean Association of Guam. Hundreds of people, along with their furry friends, attended the highly anticipated festival at the Governor Joseph Flores Beach Park.

Among visitors to the festival were Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero and several other local officials. The governor thanked the Korean Association of Guam for their contributions to the local community.

“I know the Korean Association contributes a lot to our community through nonprofit kinds of events, a lot of donations, and a lot of great good faith and goodwill to our people of Guam. We welcome you and we ask you to continue being a part of us,” the governor said.

Upon stepping into Ypao Beach Park, attendees were met with the smell of delicious, savory Korean style barbecue, along with the upbeat sounds of K-pop music.

This year, the weather did not disappoint as there wasn’t a trace of rain clouds in the area. To tackle the island heat, fans were given out for free.

As an added precautionary measure, organizers worked with Department of Parks and Recreation to fumigate the area with insect repellent to help festival-goers avoid those pesky mosquitoes.

Korean Association of Guam Director of Culture Thomas Son said the event was packed with activities for everyone to enjoy.

“We have the Korean K-pop performances straight from Korea and we have some kimchi-making and bibimbap-making. We have a lot of Korean food out there and the highlight of tonight’s event is the local contestants,” Son said.

The festival featured 20 food vendors, a kimchi immersion experience, gifts, games and raffle prizes.

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