By Nina Huang
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
When former Federal Way Mayor Michael Park first heard local Korean American community members ask why the city didn’t have a Korean garden—while nearby cities had Chinese and Japanese ones—it sparked an idea that stayed with him for years.
That’s what planted the seed that would later become the Hanwoori Garden, a vibrant cultural landmark celebrating Korean heritage and community unity.
The garden officially opened on June 10 with a grand ceremony attended by city officials, community members, and visitors from South Korea.
From a dream to reality
Park, who emigrated from South Korea in 1976 and has lived in Federal Way for nearly 50 years, said the project was deeply personal.
“I always think we need to educate our youngsters about multiculturalism and the uniqueness of Asian cultures,” he said. “Washington state depends on international trade, and I believe it’s time to focus on the Pacific Rim—Korea, Japan, China—and the cultural and economic ties we share.”
In 2014, during his third term as mayor, Park and his nonprofit, the Hanwoori Festival organization, began working with the city to develop the garden.
“We registered as a nonprofit so we could seek public funding,” he said. “It wasn’t easy. We had to widen our scope and name it the U.S.-Korea Amity Park to qualify for grants. We had to raise a lot of money.”
Park estimated the total cost at around $1.9 million, funded through donations, community fundraising, and King County grants.
Honoring a long friendship
The garden’s name, Hanwoori, means “we are one”—a fitting symbol of cultural harmony. Park said it connects directly to the Hanwoori Festival he helped launch in 2006, which celebrates Korean culture in the region.
“The name Hanwoori means unity,” he explained. “It’s about the idea that we’re all one community, Korean, American, everyone together.”
The garden also reflects Federal Way’s longstanding sister city relationship with Donghae, South Korea, established in 2000. The City of Donghae donated the striking Donghae Pavilion, which now stands at the heart of the garden.
Park said they incorporated blue and red, dominant colors found on Korea’s national flag.
He shared that the paintings alone cost about $40,000. They were all hand-painted by artisans who came from South Korea and spent three weeks here assembling everything. It took four shipping containers to bring it all from Korea to Seattle.
A space for reflection and community
Covering roughly 13,000 to 14,000 square feet, Hanwoori Garden includes a curved landscape and symbolic stonework, including an eight-foot stone imported from Canada, placed at the center beneath the South Korean flag.
“In the middle of the grass area is the Korean flag, round and right in the middle,” Park said. “It reflects who we are and what we’ve built together.”
Architect and professor Jeeyea Kim from Indiana University designed the garden’s master plan, later refined by Seattle landscape architect Ray Robinson. “One of my friends introduced me to Professor Kim,” Park said. “She did some pro bono work for us, and then Ray Robinson helped make it a reality.”
After completion, Park’s nonprofit donated the garden to the City of Federal Way.
“We donated a couple million dollars’ worth of a city park,” Park said. “Now the city maintains it, but our nonprofit will still help with special maintenance and repainting.”
A source of pride for the city
Federal Way Mayor Jim Ferrell called Hanwoori Garden a great addition to the community.
“I’ve heard from so many people in the community who are impressed and pleased,” Ferrell said.
“It’s really beautiful as you drive by—a great place for reflection, and very authentic.”
Ferrell said the garden also deepens the city’s connection to its Korean American residents, who make up an estimated 15% of Federal Way’s population.
“We’ve had a longstanding relationship with our sister city Donghae,” he said. “We took a trip there in 2023, and one of the architects for this garden was part of that delegation. This project is a reflection of the deep bonds between our communities and nations.”
For Ferrell, Hanwoori Garden aligns perfectly with Federal Way’s goals of building inclusive public spaces.
“We all want places where we can go for thoughtful reflection, or bring our families,” he said. “This is convenient, centrally located, peaceful, authentic, and meaningful. It’s a place where people can gather… or just be still.”
The mayor added that the garden fits seamlessly among the city’s network of parks.
“We have over 32 parks in our city, and this makes 33,” he said.
Continuing the vision
Park hopes the garden will continue to grow as a cultural hub. He hopes to seek more funding to host Korean-style concerts and cultural events next year.
Reflecting on the long journey, Park quoted one of his favorite sayings: “John Lennon once said, ‘A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality.’”
“We dreamed together—and today, that dream is a reality.”
Nina can be reached at newstips@nwasianweekly.com.
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