The Korean Festival was an all-day affair for Melvin and Rosalie Makuaole, who arrived at 8:30 a.m. to beat the crowd and find a comfortable seat in the shade of a tree.

The Kaneohe couple, both 71, brought their 3-month-old Shih Tzu Mele and set up folding chairs to enjoy the cultural performances, even though the event didn’t start until 10 a.m.

"We enjoyed it so much last year," said Rosalie Makuaole, who planned to stay until about 5:30 p.m. "We enjoy the diversity. It’s just fun."

About 30,000 people attended the 11th annual Korean Festival at Kapiolani Park on Saturday, along with some 800 volunteers to help the event run smoothly, organizers said. The festival is run by the Hawai‘i Korean Chamber of Commerce and helps raise funds for projects and scholarships.

One volunteer was Hojun Lee, 15, of Seoul, who came to Honolulu with his school, Daewon International, for a nearly monthlong stay to practice English.

"I really feel good about seeing Korean food and Korean letters," he said. "It’s very meaningful for us to work for the people helping to spread Korean culture around the world."

People crowded into long lines to get a taste of the Korean fare and barbecued meats. And hundreds lined up to meet South Korean actor Seo Ji-seok, who was giving out signed photographs.

"I can die happy," Cyane Andres, 15, of Waipahu, said after meeting Seo. Andres said she’s been learning Korean online so she can understand her Korean TV shows.

Andres also appeared in a flash mob at the festival organized by Korean pop, or K-pop, fans hoping to entice S.M. Entertainment, a Korean record label, to bring one of its groups to Hawaii.

The flash mob appeared near the stage and a group of about 50 people suddenly performed a choreographed dance to K-pop.

Vanessa Cadiz, 20, practiced about a month to perfect the moves in the roughly eight-minute routine.

"K-pop is not really big here," she said. "We wanted to get everyone aware, especially since this is the Korean Festival."

In a nearby tent, Hyon-cha Koga, 69, of Mililani, hoped to share Korean culture through a collection of artifacts she’s collected over the years. Koga, who also teaches Korean at Leeward Community College, had hundreds of pieces on display, including an earthenware urn from Korea that she said dates back to 600 A.D. Some of her more popular items were posters of South Korean celebrities.

"All this," Koga said, "is something to connect (to Korea)."