As the 51st Los Angeles Korean Festival wrapped up, tensions over the legitimacy of its festival foundation’s board of directors continue to mount in the midst of a legal battle.
The plaintiff board members (Jun Bae Kim, Yoon Sook Park, and Il Soon Choi), who the court reinstated, claim that four of the five current board members (Alex Cha, Brandon Lee, Ben Park, and Lawrence Kim) who oversaw the recent festival operation are disqualified. The current board members, who are between 1.5 and second-generation Korean Americans, have said they will appeal to restore their status.
The plaintiff board members, who filed a lawsuit against the current board members to invalidate their expulsion and the election of new board members, said that they would begin a full-scale campaign to return to the board on October 2.
“When Director Yoon Sook Park returns from Korea, we will begin the process to return to the board of directors, including access to the festival foundation office on October 2,” said Jun Bae Kim, a plaintiff board member. “The newly elected directors were not recognized as qualified by the court, and they should be removed from the board.”
The plaintiff directors emphasized that only the five current board members who have served are qualified as directors. The reinstated directors say they will not embrace the current board, which is dominated by 1.5- and second-generation Korean Americans who were brought in to replace them.
On September 10, the Los Angeles County Superior Court ruled in favor of the former board members. As a result, the board’s election of new directors on January 23, 2023, including current Chairman Alex Cha, and its decisions since then are no longer legally binding.
The current board made it clear that they would abide by the court’s initial ruling but would appeal within 60 days of receiving the judge’s signed decision. With the two sides of the board battling for control, there’s a possibility that there could be two boards operating separately by the time the court’s appeal is finalized.
“The festival has been a great experience for many visitors from different communities to experience Korean culture, and it confirms the right direction of the festival’s future,” said Alex Cha, Chairman of the current festival’s board of directors. ”The current board will continue to do its best to serve the Korean community and the festival.”
The Los Angeles Korean Festival Foundation said in a press release that, “The LAPD estimated that about 300,000 people visited the festival, the highest number in its history. The festival has become a place where the Korean American community and residents of all cultures come together to enjoy and exchange Korean culture.”
BY HYOUNGJAE KIM, HOONSIK WOO [kim.ian@koreadaily.com]
