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Preserving Baltimore’s Koreatown began as an effort by Baltimore-based artist Phaan Howng and graphic designer Hayelin Choi to document and celebrate the history of Baltimore’s once-thriving “Koreatown,” whose physical traces were fading from view. Building on an initiative launched in 2024 by Towson University’s Asian Arts & Culture Center and the Central Baltimore Partnership, Howng and Choi volunteered their time to help install historic markers commemorating Koreatown.

In 2026, University of Baltimore history professor, Boram Yi, and University of Delaware education professor, Soo Bin Jang, joined the team, helping expand the project beyond historical markers to document and preserve the voices, memories, and lived experiences of Baltimore’s Korean American community. That same year, David Park, a Baltimore native and son of Korean immigrants, joined the team, bringing over 20 years of experience in management consulting, urban policy, and nonprofit management to help lead the project.

Through oral histories, historical research, community engagement, and education, the project seeks to tell a richer, more nuanced story of Korean Americans’ contributions to Baltimore and promote a more inclusive understanding of the city’s diverse history.