Pomp and Pride on Parade in Koreatown : Spirit of Friendship, Togetherness Draws 70,000 to Olympic Blvd.

Drawing cheers and applause from about 70,000 spectators, Korean folk dancers gently waving sashes and paper fans met with foot-stomping drill squads and heart-pounding drum teams Saturday afternoon at the 16th annual Korean Festival Parade.

Billed with the theme “Today’s Youths, Tomorrow’s Leaders,” the parade attracted youth-oriented floats, motorcades, dancers and other performers--about 250 entries in all--to the heart of Koreatown on Olympic Boulevard.

“It’s a time when Koreans celebrate our heritage, our community, our togetherness,” said spectator Tong Soo Chung, 34, of Hancock Park.

Officials also said the parade was meant to celebrate a spirit of friendship. “We’re not just for the Korean ethnic community, we’re for the community as a whole,” parade official Stanley Lim said.

Spectators applauded a baton-twirling team, then watched intently as Korean folk performers in colorful costumes and masks danced to the cadence of a cymbal. Students of the Korean martial art Tae Kwon Do jogged down the almost mile-long route, stopping occasionally to demonstrate how aerial kicks can split wood boards.

The parade capped a cultural festival sponsored by Korean community leaders in Los Angeles. U.S. Sen. Pete Wilson, Mayor Tom Bradley and numerous leaders in the Korean community and local government participated in the parade.

Some spectators watched the parade from second-story windows or were perched atop retaining walls, but most of the crowd packed the sidewalks and spilled onto the street.

Ira Chapple showed up to see her two teen-age sons whip out fast-paced drum beats as part of a drill squad’s percussion quartet.

“This is going to shock them,” the 35-year-old Los Angeles resident said. “Usually, I don’t go to these things. This is my first time.”