This story was produced under The LA Local’s Youth Journalism Program. To learn more or to get involved, click here.
On a sunny afternoon, Seoul International Park on San Marino Street bustles with energy.
Koreatown parents Maggie and Kyle Graycar have been taking their three-year-old daughter to the park every weekend since before her first birthday. The park is where they meet other parents, but more importantly it’s where they burn off their daughter’s energy.
“We love living in Koreatown, but one of the downsides is there is not a lot of green space and playgrounds. And so the fact that we’re able to walk here is kind of a miracle” Kyle Graycar said. “A lot of K-town doesn’t have this kind of access. That said, I wish there was more green space to play in, but the playground itself is crucial for our life.”
In the span of the two acres that make up Seoul International Park, a teenager bumps a volleyball to her father, kids play soccer on the green field, an elderly couple stroll around the track, and parents play with their toddlers on swings.
All of that will transform on June 18, when the park hosts a World Cup watch party for the Mexico vs. South Korea match. Organizers expect thousands to attend with performers and a large screen.
As one of the few green spaces in the neighborhood, the park is a hub for unity and activism, youth sports and summer programs. In many ways, the park is part of the neighborhood’s DNA.
Last summer, the Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance (KIWA) and AAPI Equity Alliance, along with other community organizations, hosted a “Reclaim Our Streets” event at the park.
Aiming to combat the detention and deportation of community members by ICE, 250-300 people joined in chanting, playing music, creating art, listening to speakers, and gaining know your rights and legal information from various booths.
The park is one of the rare green spaces for the 112,000 residents in the community. With only five parks in Koreatown across 2.9 square miles, residents have a limited selection for events and leisure. Additionally, the park’s limited size, overcrowding, aging facilities, and accessibility deficiencies indicate there is room for improvement.
Even so, the park also serves as a sanctuary for youth and families and includes a gymnasium, baseball field, soccer field and recreational play area.
Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks General Manager Jimmy Kim is a product of the summer programming with the park’s department. Kim, a Koreatown native, landed his first job with the park department as a teenager.
“I got started in the summer of 1995 and literally, I immersed myself. And that really kind of got me into the department,” Kim told The LA Local and who visited Seoul International Park when it was called Ardmore Park.
“We are working collaboratively with the Mayor’s Office, the Council Office, and Community Partners in ensuring that the park is clean, safe, and family-friendly,” Kim told The LA Local.
Efforts are underway to expand the park ahead of the 2028 Summer Olympics. The city is looking to develop some type of community-driven plan for how the park could look, once it grows out from its current footprint.
“However, departmental staffing shortages will extend the project’s overall timeline,” Kim said.
The neighborhood ranks amongst the lowest in the county for green space per capita, with only 0.1 acres per 1,000 residents.
According to the Park Needs Assessment (PNA) conducted by Los Angeles Rec & Parks in Dec. 2025, Seoul International Park ranked 339th out of 519 parks citywide. Aspects such as accessibility, amenities, and walkability ranked below average. The park is actively addressing these needs, recently renovating its soccer field and looking to improve other infrastructure.
Diego Zarate grew up playing at the park and went on to volunteer with the park’s department. The aging infrastructure at the park is a concern, but he believes the park played a major role in his life, but also the lives of others.
“The park thankfully is a very well protected part of the community. Outside it can be a little rough sometimes but people know the park is a safe space for everybody,” Zarate said, who works as a recreation assistant and serves as the girls’ head soccer coach.
Seoul International Park also offers cultural programs such as after-school drop-in sessions, teen club, field trips, camps and festivals marking the beginning of every season. It hosts structured sports leagues such as basketball, soccer, volleyball, softball and baseball. The park also partners with PlayLA Youth sports which is funded by the LA28 organization ahead of the 2028 Olympics and helps fund quality and low to no-cost programs at the park.
For the Graycars, the parent’s trying to tire out their daughter at the park playground, the space is where they go to meet their neighbors.
“We feel safe and everyone’s really nice,” Kyle Graycar said.