Panel hears bill to designate November 22 as Kimchi Day
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Summary
House Bill 1017 would designate November 22 of each year as Kimchi Day, a legislatively recognized day to celebrate the traditional Korean fermented vegetable dish; proponents described cultural and historic reasons and said the bill requires no state funding.
House Bill 1017 would designate November 22 of each year as Kimchi Day, supporters told the State Government & Tribal Affairs Committee.
Staff explained that the state already maintains legislative recognitions for a range of commemorative days; HB 1017 would add Kimchi Day to those recognitions. Representative Ryu, the prime sponsor, described kimchi’s cultural role in Korean foodways and family practice — including historical preservation techniques such as burying jars to prevent freezing — and said the bill would not require state funding.
The staff briefing noted that other states and South Korea observe kimchi day and that various sources list health benefits attributed to kimchi’s ingredients. Representative Ryu asked the committee to consider the bill as an opportunity to celebrate Korean culture in Washington; there were no objections in the hearing transcript and no recorded votes at the hearing.