(10/6/25) If you’ve ever walked through K-Town in Manhattan, you know it’s like stepping into a slice of Seoul right in the middle of New York City. Between the various Korean restaurants, the neon hangul signs, and the K-Store sells K-beauty products and K-pop albums, K-Town has long been a haven for anyone craving a taste of Korea.

But in the beginning of this October Saturday, K-Town wasn’t just Korea-inspired, it became Korea. West 32nd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenue, transformed into Seoul Town for the annual community Korean Festival in Manhattan. And after years of living in the Big Apple, my wife and I finally decided to experience it for ourselves.

When we arrived, the street was already buzzing. The NYPD had blocked off the road for the event, and more than sixty colorful tents lined the block, organized by the Korean American Association of Greater New York. As we strolled in, I was immediately transported. Everywhere I turned, people were greeting “Annyeong haseyo!” to each other in Korean, and thanking vendors with cheerful “Kamsahamnida!”. It honestly felt like somehow we’d been teleported to a street market in Seoul.

The food stalls were the first thing that caught my attention. The smell of spicy tteokbokki, sizzling bulgogi, and warm bibimbap filled the air. Lines stretched down the block, everyone eager to buy and grab a bite of authentic Korean street food. At one booth, Korean Air staff were promoting flights from New York to Seou,l to cities around the world. At another, visitors were signing up to join the local Korean American Association.

Then I stopped at a tent that read: Learn Korean Language. I saw inside the booth, people were actually sitting down and taking language lessons! Others scanned QR codes to sign up for classes. I even overheard a local woman chatting with one of the representatives about how to start learning Korean. It was heartwarming to see how many New Yorkers were curious about the culture beyond K-pop and K-dramas.

Across the street, kids and teens were playing Ttakji, the traditional Korean paper-flipping game made famous by Squid Game, the series. I could hear the laughter and excitement playing this fun game. Nearby, another booth offered photos in Hanbok, traditional Korean clothing. People lined up eagerly to dress up and strike K-drama worthy poses. And at the far end of the street stood a banner featuring the fictional K-pop group Huntr/x from the animated film K-Pop Demon Hunter, a perfect nod to how deep the K-wave runs in pop culture here. By the way, I myself am also a fan of K-Pop Demon Hunter film production.

As we reached the corner of 32nd and Fifth Avenue, we were greeted by a full stage setup. Korean singers performed live K-pop and traditional songs, while teens groups performed K-Dance. There were also quiz games where lucky winners took home Korean souvenirs as prizes. We found a good spot, bought a sweet iced tea, sat on the street side and just enjoyed the atmosphere for nearly an hour. I’ve never been to Seoul but I felt like Seoul had come to Manhattan.

However, I found that the stage audio sound system was really bad, too much noise, unbalanced and the sound volume was too low. I also felt that this event could’ve been managed better and more professionally. Besides the sound system being barely audible, there were no stage lights so the stage looked really dark from afar, no stage directing and no production team on the field..

Then came the grand finale. The MC asked everyone to move their folding chairs to the side and clear the street. I wondered what was happening until the MC started. “Mugunghwa Kkoci Pieotseumnida!” (Red Light, Green Light) blared through the low sound speakers, and suddenly dozens of kids and later adults were frozen mid-step, just like again in Squid Game, The Series! The crowd cheered, laughed, and clapped as the winners received small Korean souvenirs.

By the end of the day, the entire festival was a joyful celebration of Korean culture and daily street lifestyle. It wasn’t just about food or music; it was about community and togetherness..

For one day, K-Town became Seoul Town, and I got to experience a little piece of Korea without ever leaving Manhattan.

Written & Photo by Naratama