Howard County Home To New Koreatown, One Of The First In The Country
ELLICOTT CITY, Md. (WJZ) -- With the cut of the ribbon, the plan to expand diversity in Maryland has been realized. Koreatown has officially made it to our state making it one of the very few in the country.
Gov. Larry Hogan, First Lady and Honorary Chair Yumi Hogan, and Lee Soo-hyuck, South Korean ambassador to the U.S, were there in Ellicott City to see it all Saturday.
"Maryland is very proud of the special bond we have with Korea and we've been working very hard to make that bond even stronger," Gov. Hogan said.
Just in the last year, Yumi Hogan signed an agreement for economic growth and development between the state of Maryland and the Republic of Korea. Saturday was the latest step in their relationship.
"This area is now home to a community of thousands of Korean Americans whose influence stretches across the state," Lee said.
This traditional Korean structure has been built to represent the new Koreatown. Even a local tae kwon do team showed off their skills as part of the opening ceremony.
An area Gov. Hogan once called "Korean Way" in 2016 is home to thousands of Korean-Americans. The commitment is growing rapidly, which is a win for diversity along Route 40 in Howard County.
Last November, Yumi Hogan was awarded the Order of Civil Merit of the Republic of Korea. It is the highest civilian honor - for her commitment to serving the Korean-American Community.