The 19th WA Korean American Day Ceremony
January 13, 2026
Washington State Governor Bob Ferguson Greetings
The 19th WA Korean American Day Ceremony
Kim Sung-hoon, chairman of the Washington State Korean Day Festival Foundation, gave the opening remarks, saying, “Our mission is to make Korean Day not just a one-time event but a sustainable and trusted public event. I hope that our Korean community can continue to grow on a strong foundation and create traditions that we can proudly pass on to the next generation.”
Seattle Consul General Sun Eun-ji, who participated in Washington State's Korean Day event for the fourth time—an unprecedented record—gave a welcome speech explaining the significance of 'Korean Day in Washington State,' which was first declared at the federal level in 2005 and later enacted as the first state law in 2007. In her speech, Consul General Seo mentioned Kedeheon, who recently won the Best Picture and Best Animated Feature awards at the Golden Globes, and remarked that K-culture and similar phenomena have now firmly taken root in mainstream American society.
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This year's ceremony was especially notable as it featured State Representative Stephanie Paine as the keynote speaker. Paine became the first Korean elected official in the history of King County—ranked 12th nationwide in population among over 2,000 U.S. counties—and shared an inspiring story.
King County Council member Fain, who overcame breast cancer in her twenties, went on to law school, became a lawyer, and then served as chair of the Harborview Medical Center, managing a $1.2 billion annual budget to ensure residents received proper medical benefits. At the ceremony, Councilmember Steffanie Fain attended with her mother, Soon-a Maxson, a Korean immigrant, and shared a moving story about her mother that brought tears to many eyes. Paine’s mother came to the U.S. in the 1970s after meeting her husband in the military. Like many first-generation Korean immigrants, she juggled multiple jobs while raising children, but still pursued her passion for education. King Count Councilmember Fain noted that her mother graduated from the University of Washington at the age of 60 after attending North Seattle College, demonstrating the perseverance of Korean women.
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The Festival Foundation presented the 'Korean Awards' to Councilman Peter Kwon of SeaTac, who never skipped Korean American Day Celebration event for every year and acts as a bridge between the Korean community and the mainstream society, and to Advisory Board Sandra Englund, who has been volunteering and dedicated and selfless work for the organization since the launch of Korean American Day in Washington State. Additionally, they gave appreciation award plaques to former Chairman Kim Soon-a and former President Chong Dameron, earning heartfelt applause.
This year, not only King County and Snohomish County but also many local governments including Mukilteo, Mill Creek, Lake City, and SeaTac adopted a 'Proclamation' designating January 13th as 'Korean Day in Washington State' to celebrate the occasion.
During the event, an introductory video highlighting the history of Koreans in America and the significance of Korean Day in the U.S. was shown. Despite the strain on his vocal cords, renowned singer Kwon Da-hyang performed an exciting show singing Arirang from across the country, receiving great applause.
The Festival Foundation also provided attendees with thoughtfully prepared lunch boxes, as well as high-end gifts like hand mirrors brought by Chairman Kim Pil-jae, who is currently staying in Korea due to family circumstances.
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