ramirezy@lopers.unk.edu

Korean students and volunteers came together to showcase their culture at the 11th annual celebration on Saturday.

Guests were able to enjoy traditional Korean dishes such as the marinated beef dish bulgogi and the chewy glass noodles japchae accompanied with steamed rice. Many different K-pop music videos were played on the screen. 

Students were seen wearing traditional Korean clothing such as the hanbok which translates directly to “Korean clothing.”  

The celebration opened with director Jay Lee, an english lecturer on campus and Emma Porter, a senior at UNK honoring two Korean war veterans. Flowers and gifts were handed to the veterans. 

Lee spoke about how the Korean war allowed Korea to regain democracy and aided the country in its development. He then thanked the veterans for their service.

Harmonix, a student-led acapella group, had a short performance of different Korean songs. They were followed by different Korean pop dance performances. 

“You could see that there was hard work and effort behind the performances,’’ said Melisa Becerra, a sophomore at UNK. “I really appreciate the fact that it helped me expand more about my perspective about Korean culture.”

Another part of the festival was a taekwondo performance by Xander Lee Bickford. The young boy showcased open hand techniques and even presented board breaking. 

Due to COVID affecting the Korean student population, UNK currently has 12 Korean members including staff. However, this did not stop the community from celebrating their culture.