The 51st annual Korean Parade, the highlight of the largest celebration in the Korean American community in the U.S., will take place on Saturday, September 28th, along Olympic Boulevard in the heart of LA’s Koreatown. This year, Richard Park, Chairman of Seoul Medical Group (SMG) and Managing Partner of Ascend, has been selected as the Grand Marshal, while Dominic Choi, LAPD Police Chief, and Hong Joon-pyo, Mayor of Daegu Metropolitan City, will serve as Honorary Grand Marshals, representing the friendship and unity between the Korean community and the broader society.

The 51st Korean Parade, organized by The Korea Times, aims to strengthen unity across generations and promote racial harmony under the theme "Together for a Better Korean Community." The Korean Parade Selection Committee chose Richard Park, an influential second-generation Korean American healthcare entrepreneur, as the Grand Marshal. Park leads the Seoul Medical Group, the largest and most prominent Korean medical organization in the U.S., and has significantly contributed to the advancement of Korean healthcare, enhancing the prestige of the Korean community.

The Honorary Grand Marshals of the Korean Parade have traditionally been key figures symbolizing the friendship and cooperation between Korea and the United States. This year, the committee selected Dominic Choi, the first Korean American to become the head of one of the top three law enforcement agencies in the U.S., the LAPD, and Hong Joon-pyo, a prominent South Korean politician and Mayor of Daegu, as Honorary Grand Marshals. Richard Park, who earned his MD from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine after attending the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, is an emergency medicine specialist. He oversees the Seoul Medical Group, which includes over 4,800 primary care physicians and specialists serving more than 70,000 members across the U.S.

Driven by his vision to provide high-quality healthcare to underserved communities, Park co-founded Ascend Partners, which supports physicians by providing capital, IT, and healthcare technology to ensure excellent medical services for all patients and their families.

Dominic Choi, a second-generation Korean American born in LA, graduated from USC and joined the LAPD in 1995. He quickly rose through the ranks, becoming Interim Chief of LAPD in February this year, making him the first Korean American and Asian American in LAPD’s 155-year history to hold this position. Choi, recognized as a Korean American hero during the 120th anniversary of Korean immigration last year, has become a role model for Korean American police officers due to his innate competitiveness and passionate dedication.

Hong Joon-pyo, widely known as the "Prosecutor of the Sandglass," is a veteran politician who has served five terms as a National Assembly member, as Governor of Gyeongsangnam-do, and as Chairman of the Grand National Party, and was also a presidential candidate in the 19th election. After his tenure as Governor of Gyeongsangnam-do, he was elected Mayor of Daegu in 2022, becoming the first person in South Korea's constitutional history to serve as the elected head of two different metropolitan governments.

The 51st Korean Parade will see key political figures from the broader community and leaders from the Korean community marching together, pledging future-oriented cooperation and unity between Korea and the United States. Numerous Korean organizations and institutions from Southern California will also participate, showcasing the unity and commitment to collective progress in the Korean community. The parade will feature performances by traditional Korean cultural groups, including farmers' bands and dance troupes, as well as a vibrant procession of multicultural teams and marching bands, promising to be more spectacular and filled with attractions than ever before.