Ground-floor supporters of a potentially historic community project, about 120 people gathered at Christ United Methodist Church on Saturday to share their visions for a future Koreatown in Honolulu.
The public meeting, a follow-up to a concurrent resolution from the 2012 Legislature calling for the formulation of a master plan to guide the development of a Koreatown in the Keeaumoku area, was hosted by the state Office of Planning and attended mainly by members of local Korean business and community groups.
State Rep. Sharon Har, who co-sponsored the resolution with Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz, noted the positive influence of Korean-Americans on the local community since the arrival of the first Korean immigrants in 1902 and said the development of a Koreatown would honor the legacy of Koreans in Hawaii while creating new opportunities for the community as a whole.
"There are opportunities for economic development," said Har, a second-generation Korean-American. "There are Koreatowns set up in more than a dozen countries and they attract tourists who are interested in Korean culture. Our Korean culture is part of the fabric of Hawaii, so it really makes sense to do this now."
Har said she would like to see a museum dedicated to telling the story of Koreans in Hawaii as part of the project.
"In every city, there is an area with Korean takeout food, but we want to celebrate Korean culture beyond that — it’s more than just food," Har said. "I’d like to see a museum that emphasizes Korean culture and highlights the contributions of Koreans to our local culture."
Preliminary work for the formulation of a Koreatown master plan began over the summer with research into existing Koreatowns in the United States and abroad and the development and distribution of a public survey, to which more than 2,000 people have already responded. Because no funds were allocated for this initial phase, the Office of Planning has relied on interns and community volunteers to shoulder much of the work.
At Saturday’s meeting, attendees worked in groups to share ideas about what they would like a Koreatown in Honolulu to include. Discussion included suggestions for physical features like a district gateway, bilingual signage and traditional statuary to concerns over zoning requirements and parking. Feedback from Saturday’s session will be incorporated into a report that will be presented to the Legislature in December.
"We’re trying to provide guidance for the community about how to move this idea forward by having them identify what is important for them to showcase, what can they rally around, what the culture means to them," said Office of Planning Director Jesse Souki. "The answers to those questions will help guide the recommendations for how to move forward."
