By Staff Reports
(HONOLULU) – To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Sister City relationship between Honolulu and Incheon, Republic of Korea, Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi and Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok unveiled a ten-foot-tall sculpture entitled “Face to Face” today at Pāwaʻa In-Ha Park. The stainless-steel sculpture, generously gifted by Mayor Yoo Jeong-Bok, also commemorates the 120th anniversary of Korean immigration to the United States.
Created in 2023 by renowned Korean artist Kwang-Hyun Wang, “Face to Face” serves as a visual representation of the profound connection between Honolulu and Incheon and symbolizes the commitment to friendship and a shared vision for a sustainable future.
The mirror surface of the sculpture invites viewers to engage with and enrich their relationship with the surrounding environment, symbolically reflecting the expansive sky and sea connecting Incheon and Honolulu. The window shape represents the dawn of a new era, transcending 120 years of Korean emigration history and two decades of Sister City ties. The silver color and contemporary abstract design signify protection and a shared commitment to a progressive and positive future. “Face to Face” is the fourth sculpture to be installed in Pāwaʻa In-Ha Park.
Honolulu and Incheon signed a Sister City agreement on July 23, 2003. In 2008, ten women established the In-Ha Park Committee and in 2010, with the help of then Council Members Ann Kobayashi and Ernie Martin, former Mayor Mufi Hanneman approved the renaming and repurposing of the park. It is known today as Pāwaʻa In-Ha Park, to include “In” for Incheon and “Ha” for Hawaiʻi.