The Federal Way Korean American Association first broke ground on the Hanwoori Garden in September 2021. This September, the garden will celebrate its completion ceremony on Sept. 28.

At a celebration of its 15th year in March, the association featured Vice President Lee Sae-mi, who majored in landscape architecture at the University of Washington and who was in charge of the overall design of Hanwoori Garden.

“The pure Korean meaning of Hanwoori is ‘we are all one.’ Once Hanwoori Garden is completed, it will become a resting place not only for Koreans but also for various ethnic groups and citizens, and will also be used as an event venue for the Korean community,” Lee said at the event, in quotes on their website translated from Korean.

The association’s leadership also sought financial support from those in attendance to complete the garden, adding that they plan to honor donations made this year by engraving donors’ names in the park, as they shared in their updates from the event.

The Federal Way Korean American Association will hold an event to raise support for the final stage of the garden on July 27.

According to the FWKAA’s website, Hanwoori will be the first park in the United States to be named with a purely Korean name. The park is located on Campus Drive, near the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center, and located at the entrance to the BPA Trail. It covers approximately 0.24 acres.

The idea for the park began almost 10 years ago, and while it is promoted by the association, it is jointly developed by five Korean community organizations in the region.

Along with progress on the park, Federal Way Korean American Association had more to celebrate for its fifteenth anniversary.

In March, the organization opened a new community center located at 333rd Street and 1st Street in Federal Way. The new center is 1,800 square feet and includes a library area with many Korean books that is open on the weekends.

The association also shared achievements and projects, including a scholarship for excellent youth volunteers, and support for the Integrated Korean School.