JANUARY 2021 NEWSLETTER
Official Release of CKA’s National Report
On Korean American Day, CKA released a landmark publication, entitled The National Korean American Community: Promises, Perils, and Paradoxes. The report reveals key trends and overall developments shaping the Korean American community. It is the first step in a multi-year project to provide national leaders and civic organizations with data and trend analysis to help identify the critical needs and priorities of Korean Americans everywhere
Upcoming CKA Webinar: Current State of the Korean American Community
CKA will be hosting a webinar on Tuesday, January 19 (4:30 PM ET / 7:30 PM PT) to discuss the key findings of CKA’s recent publication, The National Korean American Community: Promises, Perils, and Paradoxes, with U.C. Berkeley Associate Dean & Professor and Report AUthor, Taeku Lee.
CKA Executive Director Abraham Kim will moderate the conversation feature Korean American nonprofit leaders Connie Chung Joe of Advancing Justice-LA and Linda Lee of KCS-Metro NY.
Welcoming Our New Board Members
In December, CKA welcomed four new board members: Susan Kim, CEO of Edmodo; Yul Kwon, Senior Director of Product Management at Google; Lisa J. Yang, Partner at LimNexus LLP; and Gideon Yu, Co-Owner & Former NFL President of the San Francisco 49ers. We look forward to their valuable leadership and guidance.
CKA also announced the appointment of the new Board Executive Committee: Board Chair Michelle Rhyu, Partner at Cooley, LLP; Board Vice-Chair Peter Huh, Chairman and CEO of PAFCO; Board Treasurer Salle Yoo, Investor and Advisor; and Board Secretary Charles Yoon, Partner at Yoon LLP.
Celebrating Korean American Day with Minari Screening & Post-Film Q&A
On Korean American Day, CKA co-hosted an advance screening of MINARI, a highly-anticipated Korean American film depicting the beautiful tale of a Korean American family searching for their own American Dream. The screening was introduced by special guests Rep. Andy Kim and Rep. Marilyn Strickland.
A24 also released an exclusive post-screening Q&A conversation moderated by Award-winning Actress Sandra Oh and featuring Director Lee Isaac Chung and starring actors Steven Yeun, Yuh-Jung Youn, and Yeri Han.
This event is in partnership with A24 Films, Asians in LA, and the Korean Consulate of Los Angeles. A24 will officially release MINARI on Friday, February 12.
North Korea Affinity Group (Members Only)
On December 8, CKA’s North Korea Affinity Group held its inaugural meeting, led by CKA members Frank Aum and Duyeon Kim. Participants discussed how CKA can advance our mission, uplift Korean American voices regarding issues on the Korean Peninsula, and use our community’s influence to further U.S.-North Korea relations.
Women’s Affinity Group (Open to Public)
On December 15, CKA’s Women’s Affinity Group hosted a panel with Jackie Kim, CEO & Founder of Maelove, and Esther Song, CEO of SD Biotechnologies USA, on Korean Skincare and Beauty. Moderated by CKA Member Catharina Min, the discussion explored both panelists’ life careers and journeys along with the challenges and successes of running their companies.
Attorney’s Affinity Group (Members Only)
On December 17, CKA’s Attorney’s Affinity Group held a panel discussion on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in our respective communities and workplaces. Moderated by CKA Board Chair Michelle Rhyu and CKA member Peter Hyun, the discussion was led by CKA members Jerry Kang, Founding Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at UCLA, and L. Song Richardson, Dean & Chancellor Professor of Law at UCI School of Law.
These member events and affinity groups are sponsored in part by the Korea Foundation
Frank Aum co-authored an article on War on the Rocks with Dr. George Lopez of University of Notre Dame, urging the Biden administration, in coordination with Seoul, to mount a peace offensive of conciliatory initiatives guided by strong deterrence to promote deescalation and achieve a new dialogue with North Korea
Carol & Eugene Choi recently established the Choi Family Endowed Korean Studies Scholarship at the University of California, Irvine. This scholarship will be awarded to undergraduate students majoring in Korean studies and other qualified students with a demonstrated interest in Korean studies.
Juliet K. Choi was named as a national advisor to the COVID Collaborative’s Vaccine Education Scientific Advisory Committee. She has also been quoted in the Washington Post and Morning Consult on the importance of recognizing racial inequities due to COVID-19 and in Politico Magazine, NBC News, Politico, the LA Times, and The Spokesman Review.
Perry Ha has been appointed Board Chair of the Korean American Community Foundation of San Francisco (KACF-SF). With this new position, he will be able to further his contributions toward advancing the well-being of the Korean American community.
Luke Kang has been named as Disney’s Head of Asia-Pacific, where he will drive the strategies, innovation, and growth of Disney in this dynamic region. He will oversee Disney’s media networks, direct-to-consumer offerings including Disney+, media distribution and motion picture businesses, as well as other operations across the region.
Sabrina Kay has been appointed to MannKind’s Board of Directors. As a board member, she brings a wealth of experience in marketing, human capital development, finance, and executive leadership.
Dow Kim was presented with the Vision-In-Action Award at the Korean American Family Service Center’s 2020 Virtual Gala. This award honors his dedication to investing in the Korean American community, specifically in the areas of education, social services, and arts & culture.
Kenneth Kim was featured on CNN on behalf of Ark Clinical Research, indicating that his office will be administering vaccination shots to approximately 200 people as a part of a Johnson & Johnson clinical trial.
Sylvia Kim’s CerraCap Ventures launched its Foundation and Initiative CerraCap Cares, to innovate philanthropy and invest in technology for good.
Tammy Kim has been unanimously appointed as The City of Irvine’s Vice Mayor. Earlier in November, she was elected to her seat on the Irvine City Council with the highest vote count for any candidate in the city’s history.
David J. Lee was elected to be President of AppHarvest, a leading company in agricultural technology. He has also been named the 2020 Innovator of the Year by the Dive Awards for his accomplishments as the CFO of Impossible Foods. Under his leadership, the company has seen decades-worth of success and growth in only one year, even amid a pandemic.
Jessica published an article in The American Prospect and an article in Responsible Statecraft on North Korea. She also spoke at the Quincy Institute-Sejong Institute’s webinar on US-ROK relations and Korea Institute for National Unification International Conference panel alongside CKA Member Jean Lee.
June Lee has been appointed to the Board of Directors of Novus Therapeutics. She will bring extensive clinical development expertise as Novus prepares to conduct up to four Phase 2 clinical trials.
Hyun Park has been named the Senior Vice President & Chief Legal Officer of FirstEnergy. In this role, he will lead FirstEnergy’s Legal, Risk & Internal Audit departments and oversee the company’s ethics and compliance program.
Kee Park delivered the keynote lecture on Global Neurosurgery at the Asian Congress of Neurological Surgery for the Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Uzbekistan 2020 Joint Seminar.
L. Song Richardson has been appointed as the 14th President of Colorado College. She will be the first woman of color to hold this presidential position at Colorado College.
Jen C. Won has been elevated to Counsel at Larson LLP. She is also leading the recently-launched Korea practice as the chair, serving as a trusted advisor to Korean conglomerates and individuals who need legal advice in the U.S. or abroad.
Songyee Yoon authored an article on VentureBeat discussing how game development methodology can help the Biden administration solve the COVID-19 pandemic, outlining multiple steps the American leaders should be taking.