By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
August 8, 2003
Kimchee, anyone? For those hankering for some authentic Korean food in a casual environment, the eighth annual Korean Street Festival is the perfect place to get a taste of Korea.
The organizers hope to better last year’s turnout of 30,000 attendees, especially since 2003 marks the centennial of the first Korean immigrants in the United States.
“Around eight years ago, we began the festival as a way to introduce Korean cuisine to Chicago,” says committee chairman Chris Jang. “We saw how popular Chinese food was here and thought, ‘Why not Korean food? It’s as good as Chinese cuisine.’ We figured people might like the opportunity to sample Korean dishes and maybe learn a little bit about our culture.”
The fest slowly grew from a Taste of Korea into a cultural event that showcased theater, art and music–both traditional and rock bands such as Panda Panda, Jenny Choi, Triple Whip and Chiyoko Yoshida. Martial arts, face-painting and ssirum–Korean sumo-like wrestling–will be featured as well.
There also will be a singing contest, children’s events and a tent where the elderly (or tired) can rest or play board games.
A couple of other things to look for: a fashion show with models wearing more than 200 antique costumes actually worn by members of the Korean royal families, and a traditional Korean wedding ceremony.
If getting married in public is something that piques your interest, contact Jang.
“We’re actively trying to get couples who would like to get married to participate in this,” he says. “That would be ideal. But if not, we’ll get volunteers to go through the motions.”
