KOREAN COMMUNITY NEWS - Apr. 2025
By Eun Byoul Oh
This month, we are dedicating the Korean-American Community section for KCCNYC’s newly launched events.
Wildfire Recovery Fund
A firefighter works to extinguish a fire at a house that has been engulfed in a wildfire in Uiseong, South Korea, Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (Yoon Gwan-shick/Yonhap via AP)
As many of our students are aware, KCCNYC launched a fundraiser for the South Korea Wildfire Recovery Fund. All donations are tax deductible and the funds raised will be sent directly to Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association. Any contribution is appreciated, and please share the link on your social media or through message apps. All donors will get a shoutout on our May newsletter. The fundraiser will stay open until April 30th.
Wildfires have been raging across much of Southeastern Korea, burning at least 120,000 acres (that is about 80% of the size of Seoul) and causing the evacuation of close to 30,000 people. 30 World Heritage sites have been damaged or destroyed, including Yakgye Pavilion in Andong and Gigokjesa, a ritual house in Cheongsong, both dating back to the Joseon Dynasty (1492-1910), as well as Gounsa Temple in Silla, which is 1,000 years old. Dry and windy conditions are causing multiple fires in an unprecedented event. At least 30 people have died and 43 more are injured. Many of the people that have been affected are elderly and living in remote areas. KCCNYC stands with the people who have suffered devastating losses and we are holding a fundraiser to help people try to rebuild their lives.
KCCNYC Book Club:
Dosan Hakdang
KCCNYC is launching a Monthly Book Club called Dosan Hakdang. Dosan, also known as Ahn Chang Ho, was a Korean leader and thinker who pioneered the Korean American community in the U.S. We are launching a book club in hopes to facilitate a space for KCCNYC to share Korean thoughts, and Korean ideologies. We feel it is important to create a bridge between the U.S. and Korea in this critical time. The meeting will publish monthly reading reports (looking for volunteers), and hopefully we are able to host guest lecturers in the future. The first meeting will be hosted over zoom on May 18, 2025 at 2:00 PM Eastern.
Join Us for the Our First Meeting
For the first month, we will read the Nobel Prize Winning Novel, Human Acts by Han Kang in honor of the Gwangju Uprising. Kindly refer to the questions we would like to have for the group on the Google Drive.
We will announce the next book for the month of June in our Monthly Newsletter for May!
