Portrait of Dosan Ahn Chang-ho, Korean independence activist and one of the early leaders of the Korean American immigrant community in the US, is painted on the wall at Olympic and Vermont.
The project led by KORE, apparel brand known for the incorporation of Korean culture and lifestyle in their design, was first inspired by Korean TV show, Infinite Challenge.
Infinite Challenge’s episode aired on August 20 depicted how Dosan fought against the Japanese occupation of Korea while uniting Korean immigrants in Southern California. Watching the episode, KORE CEO Matthew Kim learned about Dosan’s accomplishments wanted to let more people know about him.
“Watching the show, I could learn about Dosan Ahn Chang-ho, that he made great accomplishments which affected both Korean independence and Korean-American immigrant society,” said Kim. “I felt frustrated that there are still many people, especially among the younger generation, who are not aware of him. So I decided to run this project.”
The mural is painted on 1053 S. Vermont Ave, which has the same address as the church where Dosan frequently held meetings with Korean immigrants.
Original article by Kim Sang-jin
Translated by Heewon Kim
