King County Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer Presented with Appreciation Award at 12th Annual Washington State Korean American Day Celebration

January 16, 2019

Summary

The award was presented to the Councilmember for his “continuous support and advocacy of the Washington State Korean Community”

Story

The Washington State Korean American Day Appreciation Award was presented to Metropolitan King County Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer for the Councilmember’s “continuous support and advocacy of the Washington State Korean Community.”

Shari Song with the Washington State Korean American Day Celebration Foundation and Councilmember von Reichbauer

“In this age of the Pacific Rim, there is no greater special relationship than that of the United States and the Republic of Korea,” said von Reichbauer. “I am honored to be recognized for my work in building bridges between our two countries.”

Governor Christine Gregoire and the Washington State Legislature designated January 13 as Korean American Day in April 2007. The first Korean immigrants arrived in Hawaii on labor contracts to work in sugar plantations. Today, Korean Americans contribute to the vitality of the local economy and participate actively in all aspects of social, political, and cultural life.

There are over 135,000 residents of Korean descent living in Washington, and King County—along with the cities of Federal Way and Seattle—have multiple economic and cultural ties with Korea, including sister city and sister county relationships.