A new statue of King Sejong the Great at L.A. City College celebrates the founding of the Korean alphabet.
Los Angeles City College hosted the unveiling this week of a new statue of King Sejong the Great as part of a celebration of Hangeul Day, which on Oct. 9 commemorates the invention and proclamation of the Korean alphabet.
The statue of King Sejong in central Seoul is considered South Korea’s most iconic statue, organizers said.
Andrew Lee, chairman of investment firm Imperial Family Companies, donated the statue and a $100,000 endowment for the LACC Korean Program. The college boasts that it is the only community college to offer an associate’s degree and bi-level certificates of achievement (California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office approved) in Korean Language and Civilization, according to its website.
The college’s Korean Language and Civilization Studies benefits from the campus’ location in Koreatown.
LACC is the first community college in the state to offer an associate of arts degree in Korean.
LACC students, staff, faculty, and local and community partners joined in the ceremony on Thursday, Oct. 5.
The ceremony concluded with a congratulatory calligraphy performance by Laura C. Kim, the president of the Korean American Calligraphy Association.
