HONOLULU — Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi and Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-Bok unveiled a 10-foot-tall sculpture on Friday celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Sister City relationship between the two cities.

What You Need To Know

  • “Face to Face” was gifted by Incheon Mayor Jeong-Bok to also commemorate the 120th anniversary of Korean immigration to the United States

  • The sculpture’s mirrored surface symbolically reflects the sky and sea that connect Incheon and Honolulu and invites the viewer to engage with the surrounding environment

  • Honolulu and Incheon became sister cities with the signing of a Sister City agreement on July 23, 2008

Created in 2023 by renowned Korean artist Kwang-Hyun Wang, the sculpture titled “Face to Face,” stands at Pawaa In-Ha Park representing the cities’ connection while symbolizing “the commitment to friendship and a shared vision for a sustainable future,” according to a news release. It was gifted by Mayor Jeong-Bok to also commemorate the 120th anniversary of Korean immigration to the United States.

The mirrored surface symbolically reflects the sky and sea that connect Incheon and Honolulu and invites the viewer to engage with the surrounding environment. According to the release, its window shape represents the dawn of a new era, while the silver color and contemporary design signify protection and a commitment to a progressive and positive future.

(Image courtesy of City & County of Honolulu)

This is the fourth sculpture installed in the park.

Honolulu and Incheon became sister cities with the signing of a Sister City agreement on July 23, 2008. Ten women established the In-Ha Park committee in 2008. In 2010, former Mayor Mufi Hanneman approved the renaming and repurposing of the park with the help of then council members Ann Kobayashi and Ernie Martin. Today the park is called Pawaa In-Ha Park; “In” stands for Incheon and “Ha” for Hawaii.