First Chuseok Event at US White House... Biden and Harris Say "Korean Americans Are Important"

On the 17th (local time), the first Chuseok celebration event was held at the White House in the United States. U.S. President Joe Biden and Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris also sent congratulatory messages in writing.

In the late afternoon of the day, a Chuseok celebration event hosted by the White House and the Council of Korean Americans (CKA) was held at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building adjacent to the West Wing of the White House main building. This is the first time a Chuseok celebration event for the Korean holiday has been held at the U.S. White House.

In the congratulatory message distributed at the event, President Biden stated, "This joyful holiday, held during the peak of the autumn harvest, brings Korean families around the world together to give thanks for blessings and honor the legacy of their ancestors. Chuseok evokes not only the rich heritage of the Korean community but also a universal bond that unites people worldwide."

President Biden continued, "Wherever we come from, we are all Americans," adding, "Whether your family immigrated generations ago or you immigrated yourself, each of you has woven the vibrancy, culture, and contributions of the Korean community into the tapestry of our nation."

Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Harris also emphasized in her written congratulatory message, "Chuseok reminds us of the importance of family, the blessings of autumn, and the fact that we stand on the broad shoulders of our ancestors," highlighting that "Korean Americans have been an essential part of the fabric of America for centuries." She also added, "(My husband) Doug Emhoff and I wish you a safe, healthy, and happy holiday."

Vice President Harris, who is both Black and Asian American, is also part of a Korean American family. Her brother-in-law, Andrew Emhoff’s wife, Dr. Judy Lee, is Korean American.

U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai attended the Chuseok event in person and said in her congratulatory message, "Since the signing of the Treaty of Peace, Amity, and Commerce between the United States and Korea in 1882, Korean Americans have played an indispensable role in building this country."

This event was organized primarily by current and former Korean American staff at the White House, including Dan Koh, Deputy Assistant to the President, and Philip Kim, Special Assistant to the President. Attendees included Sylvia Luke, Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii and the highest-ranking Korean American in the U.S., as well as U.S. Representative Andy Kim (New Jersey, Democrat), Julie Turner, Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights at the State Department, and former Ambassador Sung Kim.

Many attendees wore hanbok to the event, and the New York Korean American Youth Choir performed wearing saekdong jeogori (colorful striped jackets). The YHK Association, which performed a fan dance, also wore hanbok and jokduri (traditional Korean bridal headgear). After the event, attendees shared Korean foods such as songpyeon, japchae, dakgangjeong, yakgwa, and sikhye.