On July 11, YKASEC held an open house event to celebrate moving into the new office, as well as publicizing the new location. It was a semi-formal event with Korean food and rice wine. Slide show of YKASEC’s past media coverage, and a traditional Korean Go Sa ceremony were part of the event program. The speakers included Margie McHugh, the executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), and Theresa Chong, the executive director of the Korean American Family Service Center.
The Go Sa ceremony was enacted to celebrate Korean culture as well as “bless” the new place. During the ceremony, YKASEC’s executive director, Yu Soung Mun, read wishes for good fortunes called Go Sa Mun. Afterwards, guests made donations by placing money in the head of a boar’s mouth. The boar signifies prosperity and “start” in Korean culture.
