Hansamo Bridges Generations
at San Francisco City Hall
for Korea’s 80th Liberation Day
On August 16, 2025, the historic rotunda of San Francisco City Hall came alive with the sights and sounds of Korea as the Bay Area Korean community hosted a grand celebration marking the 80th anniversary of Korea’s Liberation Day. The event featured dignitaries, cultural performances, and messages from leaders in both Korea and the United States, and Hansamo participated in the opening ceremony with performances that set a festive and meaningful tone for the evening.
Hansamo, a nonprofit cultural organization made up of Bay Area middle and high school students and parents, has long dedicated itself to preserving and sharing the beauty of Korean traditional arts. At this historic celebration—the first time the Korean community has taken center stage at San Francisco City Hall—Hansamo proudly presented two cornerstone performances: Samgo-mu(Three Drum Dance) and Pungmulnori. The pounding rhythms of the samgo-mu, performed on three drums with powerful choreography, filled the rotunda with energy and pride. This was followed by Pungmulnori, where the blend of percussion instruments—kkwaenggwari(small gong), buk(barrel drum), janggu(double-headed drum), and jing(large gong)—combined with lively movement and dynamic use of the grand staircase, creating an immersive performance that transported the audience into the vibrant spirit of Korea’s folk traditions.
Hansamo's performance was especially meaningful for this historic event. It highlighted the dedication of second-generation Korean Americans to preserving their cultural heritage and honored the long legacy of Korean immigrants in the United States, whose communities actively supported Korea’s independence movement. In California, in particular, the Korean diaspora played a significant role in these efforts, and Hansamo’s young performers embodied that enduring pride and love for their ancestral homeland, connecting generations through culture and history.
The Liberation Day event spanned four hours and included official ceremonies, congratulatory messages from President Jae-myung Lee and Governor Gavin Newsom, as well as performances by the K-Arts Dance Company, Art Taekwondo, and the Kkaturi Dance Ensemble. Yet Hansamo’s performance stood out as a symbolic bridge between Korea’s history of resilience and the vibrant future of its diaspora community in America. It will be remembered as a proud moment not only for the Korean community but also for the city itself, where the sounds of Korea rang out in celebration of freedom, unity, and cultural pride.