한국어
On Sunday, December 11, 2022, the Korean American Association of Kansas City, led by President Kim Seong-bae, hosted the "End-of-Year Celebration Night" at the Sheraton Hotel. The event was attended by approximately 200 Korean residents from the Kansas area. The first part of the evening, led by Senior Vice President Ham Young-soo, began with the national anthem, a moment of silence for the fallen heroes, and the pledge of allegiance. The anthems of Korea and the United States were powerfully sung by all, led by Professor Im So-yeon with Dr. Lee Kyung-mi accompanying on the piano. The session included prayers by Pastor Kim Kyung-min (Full Gospel Church of Kansas), greetings from President Kim Seong-bae, words of encouragement from KC Mayor Mr. Garner, and a supportive message from Dokgo Young-sik, President of the Midwestern Korean Association.
President Kim Seong-bae presented an honorary plaque to An Kyung-ho, President of the Korean Paralympic Committee in the USA, appointing him as the honorary president of the 34th Korean American Association of Kansas City for successfully hosting the 1st National Paralympic Games in Kansas City. This was followed by a video showcasing the 2022 activities of the Korean American Association of Kansas City, introductions of the guests, and advertisements to conclude the first part.
The second part of the event, hosted by Chief Lee Ju-hyun and Director Dennis Cho, featured a dinner prayer by Pastor Song Myung-chul (Central Methodist Church) and performances by a trio (Im So-yeon, An Hyung-jun, Jeon Jung-hoon) as well as three American K-POP groups. The third and final part of the evening started with a special performance by Elder Ha Cheong-il, formerly of the 'Seo Soo-nam Ha Cheong-il' duo, and continued with the "World Singing Contest Kansas Regional Preliminaries," hosted by announcer Kim Myung-ki from Dallas. Ten pre-registered contestants competed fiercely, supported enthusiastically by the audience. The final judging awarded first place to Kim Bong-seok and second place to Jang Young-jun. The event also included a raffle draw with generous prizes donated by Korean association officers, Korean restaurants (Choga, Chosun Galbi, OMO), and local Korean stores. The grand prize of the evening was an airplane ticket worth $1200, drawing the "End-of-Year Celebration Night" to a close.