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Millbrae library near SF celebrates opening of Korean section

October 21, 2014
The first Korean Culture Festival in Millbrae.

The first Korean Culture Festival in Millbrae.

By The Korea Times San Francisco staff

Spreading Korean culture — Korean cool, as some would call it — isn’t just about music and TV dramas.

The Korean government thinks books about Korea should get some love, too.

The opening of a Korean section inside Millbrae Library near San Francisco Saturday, overseen by the city’s Korean Consulate General, may be the beginning of that push.

San Francisco Consul General Han Dong-man said there are plans to install Korean sections in public libraries in Milpitas and San Jose. He said he hopes the books will help the community understand the Korean War, the Dokdo dispute and the country’s culture and history.

The consulate’s plans for Korean sections in libraries will begin in Millbrae and Foster City before spreading to other Northern California regions.

Millbrae Mayor Wayne Lee called the section the start of the library’s Korean collection and said he was glad that the city’s diverse population now has a place to learn more about Korea.

In celebration of the section’s installation, the Millbrae Community Center held its first Korean Culture Festival, drawing more than 300 people, Han and Lee.

The festival featured a traditional samulnori team from UC Berkeley, a fan dance by Min Yu-sun, the Millbrae Youth Chamber and the San Francisco Korean Symphony.

The celebration also offered booths, demonstrations and food. There are plans to hold the festival every year.