March is Women’s History Month. In honor of International Women’s Day, CKA’s Women’s Affinity Group hosted an online conversation on hope and healing for Korean American women in the midst of anti-Asian racism. Many participants shared their coping experiences and voiced their support for the Asian American community during these tragic times. Thank you for joining us for these important conversations.
Many of our members also attended CKA’s first virtual gatherings for our Affinity Groups this year. These online meetings offered an opportunity to connect with some of our newest members and provided a forum to share thoughts and ideas.
As we look to April, CKA will be hosting two major events focusing on Korean American identity and leadership. The first is Korean American Professionals Night in Chicago, featuring an interactive panel discussion with CKA member Don Liu and Best of Korea’s Patricia Liu. The second is our SAIGU@30 Leadership Conference with the Korean American Coalition – Los Angeles to commemorate the 30th anniversary of 1992 SAIGU in Koreatown – Los Angeles.
Now that the weather is getting warmer, we hope to see you there.
For more information, please check our events calendar, and as always, we plan to share interesting news and events in the coming weeks.
Thank you all and take care.
Best Regards,
Abraham Kim, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Council of Korean Americans
Umma – the first studio horror film written and directed by a Korean American woman
The film Umma, which premiered in theaters on March 18th, stars Sandra Oh and explores the generational effects of parenting and the relationship between mother and child.
Chosen follows five Korean Americans who ran for Congress
In Chosen, Joseph Juhn, director and producer of Jeronimo, focuses on the need for representation of the Korean American community in Congress. The documentary film is set to premiere in late April at Korea’s Jeonju International Film Festival.
Michelle Zauner featured as Keynote Speaker for 2022 SXSW Conference
SXSW announces Grammy Award-nominated singer and guitarist of Japanese Breakfast and New York Times bestselling author of Crying in H Mart, Michelle Zauner, as one of the latest Keynotes for the 2022 conference.
Welcome new staff, Aileen Chung, to the CKA team!
Aileen Chung
CKA welcomes Aileen Chung as the latest addition to our CKA team. She joins our organization after working at various art and cultural institutions. We look forward to introducing her at our upcoming CKA events and programs.
Click here to read Aileen’s full bio.
Frank co-wrote a report describing hypothetical scenarios where U.S. and North Korean negotiations in 2019 had been more successful at making tangible progress. He was also quoted in an article about President Biden’s engagement approach to North Korea.
Alongside other social justice leaders involved in CARE, Rev. Eugene Cho signed a letter to the Biden Administration urging Congress to support emergency relief funding in the final FY2022 spending package. He also signed an open letter to Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, calling for an end to the war in Ukraine. Rev. Cho was also interviewed about the impact of the war in Ukraine on those facing food insecurity.
Congratulations to Grace for her engagement to Trevor Agatsuma!
Marie was featured in NAPABA Coffee House, a series focusing on trailblazing Asian Americans in the legal profession.
Congratulations to Hyepin for receiving the KAILASA Dharma Jyoti Religion and Worship Award for her work in advancing peace, harmony, and unity!
Monica was the inaugural speaker for Dulwich College’s Dulwich Talks, a TED-style talk series for thought leaders to support parents in engaging and inspiring their children. Monica also spoke at Amazon about women’s leadership and mentorship and facilitated a workshop at Johns Hopkins University’s 10th Annual Women’s Leadership Conference.
Dr. Kim participated in a fireside chat and investor meetings at Oppenheimer’s 32nd Annual Healthcare Conference.
Dr. Kim’s company Cosmos Health Solutions served as a partner to oversee COVID-19 testing for the 2022 Oscars.
Congratulations to Dr. Kim for his appointment to Cowen’s Board of Directors!
Leezie spoke at the opening of the COVID-19 public memorial exhibit at the Arizona Heritage Center. The exhibit honors those who have died from COVID-19.
Within its 10 years, Samsung Bioepsis has secured 10 biosimilar drugs, with six having already gained global approval.
Jennifer was interviewed by Reuters about championing women’s rights within the classical music world.
David was interviewed by Benzinga about the role AppHarvest plays in creating food security in the United States.
Jessica Lee co-authored a report titled, “Beyond Deterrence: A Peace Game Exercise for the Korean Peninsula.” The report was covered by the Washington Post and Responsible Statecraft. Jessica’s comments on anti-Asian violence have also appeared in Responsible Statecraft and in Voice of America along with May Lee.
Don joined NAPABA in their Coffee House series to discuss his experience in overseeing legal and governmental affairs for Target.
I Squared Capital formed a new cold storage infrastructure platform, Cube Cold Europe. Cold storage played an integral role during supply chain disruptions throughout the pandemic.
Kim will be a panelist for NFL’s 6th Annual Women’s Forum, which has helped develop a pipeline for connecting women with career opportunities in football.
Jenny co-authored articles about the potential motivations behind North Korea’s latest missile tests and ongoing activity at a snow-covered Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center. She was also consulted about the Ukrainian conflict on The Heat.
Andrew authored a piece about South Korea’s recent presidential election and what it means for domestic and foreign policy.
Congratulations to Nancy for her new position as an Advisory Council Member at UN Women! We are excited to see Korean American leadership on a global stage! She also moderated the panel “Beyond Economics: How Addressing the Challenge of Inclusion in Hollywood Impacts Culture, Community and Commerce,” which discussed the power of diversity and representation in media, technology, and sports at the Pulse Conference.
Congratulations to Suzanne for her recognition as one of the 2022 Most Influential Women of the Year! This will be Suzanne’s third year being honored for her leadership.
Kairos Pharma recently received FDA approval to proceed with a Phase 2 clinical trial for its prostate cancer treatment drug and a Phase 1 clinical trial for its brain cancer treatment drug.