The Newport Beach Korean Festival is set to make its historic debut as the Korean-American Women’s Society (KAWS, Chairman Namhee Kim) hosts the first-ever event on Saturday, the 10th.
Organized in collaboration with the Newport Beach Korean Festival Committee (Honorary Chairman Kevin Muldoon) and sponsored by the Overseas Koreans Agency, the festival will take place starting at 11 AM at the Newport Beach Civic Center (100 Civic Center Dr).
This festival expands upon the annual ‘I Love Kimchi Festival’—which KAWS has hosted every year since the California Legislature established Kimchi Day (November 22) in 2021—by incorporating a diverse array of Korean cultural elements including K-music, K-food, K-art, and K-movies. Chairman Kimnamhee stated in a phone interview with this newspaper on the 5th, “We are thrilled to hold this festival in Newport Beach, where opportunities to directly experience Korean culture have been scarce. We plan to make this an annual event to continuously foster cultural exchange with local residents.”
The festival officially kicks off at 11:30 AM. Opening celebrations will feature traditional pungmulnori, Korean traditional music and dance, K-pop performances, and an electronic violin concert in the presence of politicians and community leaders.
Starting at 12:45 PM, the signature program of the festival, the ‘I Love Kimchi Festival,’ will take place. Participants will have the opportunity to make kimchi directly and take it home, though participation is capped at 100 people. KAWS announced that prominent figures including U.S. Representative Dave Min, California State Assemblywoman Diane Dixon, Newport Beach Mayor Lauren Kleiman, and Honorary Chairman Muldoon are scheduled to deliver congratulatory remarks and participate in the kimchi-making event.
At 2:00 PM, an art exhibition featuring works by artist Sunny Kim will begin. Kim will introduce contemporary Korean art, engage in conversations with visitors, and explain her artistic creations.
From 2:45 PM to 4:15 PM, a K-movie screening will be held featuring director Shin In-ki’s ‘Beatmaker.’ Released in 2024, the film is a musical piece blending traditional pansori with modern hip-hop. It was previously selected for the feature competition section of the 2024 Seoul Independent Film Festival and unveiled as a world premiere. Director Kim Jung-jung, who produced the film, will host the screening.
Youth volunteers from the Hwarang Youth Foundation and the OC Chapter of the National Movement Headquarters for Preserving the Spirit of Korea will also participate extensively in volunteer work. For inquiries, please call 949-400-5878.
