The City Council shot down a request by Vice Mayor Tammy Kim to have the City of Irvine contribute $50,000 for an event that will be held in Anaheim next month.

Kim’s request to contribute the money in return for booth space at the World Korean Business Convention was considered at the Council’s September 26th meeting.

The convention is being hosted by the Overseas Koreans Foundation (an affiliate of the Korean Foreign Ministry); Overseas Koreans Economic Organizations; and the Korean American Chamber of Commerce of Orange County.

Kim's request was criticized by public commenters as subsidizing an event outside of Irvine and with no strong connection to the City.

Mayor Farrah Khan, along with Councilmembers Larry Agran and Mike Carroll echoed the public's concerns while also questioning the propriety of using Irvine Recovery Fund money for the event. That fund consists of federal dollars that the City received to help it recover from the COVID pandemic.