LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass today led an unveiling ceremony with the Korean community to celebrate the newly restored Turtle Ship, originally gifted to the City of Los Angeles by Sister City Busan, South Korea, in 1982. Previously located at City Hall, the artifact underwent extensive conservation and restoration for the first time in nearly 20 years before being relocated to the Los Angeles Convention Center, where it will be on display for the world during the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Thousands more from around Los Angeles and around the world will view the Turtle Ship in its new location. B-roll and photos available here.
“The Turtle Ship is a powerful symbol of our enduring friendship with Busan and the Korean American community. I’m honored to celebrate this moment with our Korean American community, whose contributions enrich our city every day,” said Mayor Bass. “Thanks to Chief Tourism Officer Doane Liu and members of the Korean community for engaging on this important issue. We look forward to visitors from all around the world seeing this artifact while attending events at the Convention Center, especially as a venue for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
The unveiling event brought together elected officials and community leaders, including Councilmembers John Lee and Heather Hutt. The celebration also showcased a traditional Korean drum performance, highlighting the rich cultural heritage of the Korean American community and underscoring the City’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.
“As the only Korean American City Councilmember in Los Angeles, I am honored to attend the 'Korean Heritage in LA' event and recognize the invaluable contributions of Korean Americans to our city,” said Councilmember John Lee. “This year’s unveiling of the newly restored Turtle Ship, a generous gift from our Sister City of Busan, is a powerful symbol of our enduring friendship and cultural exchange. I look forward to further strengthening the bonds between Los Angeles and Korea."
“This move ensures that the gift from Busan will be more accessible and enjoyed by a much wider audience. This cultural artifact has been carefully restored and can be displayed in a manner that respects the sentiments of the Korean American community,” said Robert Ahn, President of the Korean American Federation of Los Angeles. “We appreciate the Mayor’s Office for its responsiveness and efforts in making this change.”
The Convention Center will be host to several competition events for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and with the relocation of the Turtle Ship, thousands more Angelenos and tourists alike are expected to visit the ship.
“This gift from the City of Busan will now be available for a larger audience and will become a tourism asset for the City of Los Angeles,” said Doane Liu, Chief Tourism Officer and Executive Director, City Tourism Department. “We are excited that the millions of visitors that come to the Convention Center can see this artifact and leave Los Angeles knowing more about the history and significance of this Sister City gift from Korea.”
"The installation of the newly restored Turtle Ship at the Los Angeles Convention Center is a profound honor and a testament to the enduring friendship and cultural exchange between Los Angeles and our cherished Sister City, Busan, South Korea,” said Kim Weedmark, General Manager, Los Angeles Convention Center. “We are thrilled to house such a precious gift to the City of Los Angeles, where it will be on display for millions of visitors to admire as they attend events. Our deepest gratitude goes to Mayor Bass for entrusting us with this invaluable treasure.”
During the transition of the gifts to the Convention Center in July, Mayor Bass convened community meetings to share updates on the conservation and restoration of the gifts and to hear ideas about how to further celebrate and highlight these artifacts. Since September, the Mayor's Office of International Affairs has communicated with Korean leaders to provide updates on the restoration of the artifact and to co-host a celebration of unveiling the restored gift.
To ensure its safe relocation and reinstallation, the Department of Cultural Affairs assembled a professional team of conservators and art handlers to carry out the conservation and reinstallation of the gift, which is part of the City Art Collection.
Mayor Bass will continue to celebrate the strong Sister City relationships and the dedicated work of our Sister Cities. The Mayor’s Office, Department of Cultural Affairs, City Tourism Department and the Convention Center are undertaking similar restoration and reinstallation efforts for three Sister City gifts from Nagoya, Japan, which are planned to be unveiled later this year.