November 2021 Newsletter

Frank Aum and Jenny Town

Frank and Jenny were consulted by the Washington Post for their expertise on North Korea after a recent statement from North Korea that it was premature to declare a formal end to the Korean War.

Joseph Bae

Congratulations to Joe Bae for his promotion to co-CEO of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR)!

Jieun Baek

Jieun authored a policy report on public diplomacy with North Korea, highlighting approaches to promote human rights and pursue denuclearization.

Edward Chang

Edward was featured in an LA Times article about Pachappa Camp, the first Koreatown in America, and the role of Riverside, CA, in South Korean democracy. He curated an exhibition of Pachappa Camp that examines its history and legacy.

Hosea Chang

Hosea was awarded the Forever Duke Award, which recognizes alumni for excellent recent volunteer service to Duke, Duke Alumni, and other alumni groups.

Jeanie Chang

Jeanie spoke to CNN on its Staying Well segment about managing daily stress and preventing burnout by building resilience. She was also featured in a WRAL news article, sharing ways to help yourself and others in emotional crisis.

Eugene Cho

Eugene discussed the importance of shedding stereotypes about food insecurity and becoming allies in the fight against hunger, especially in the midst of the pandemic.

Grace Choi

Grace wrote a piece about the significance of Asian Americans in the New York City elections. She discusses the underinvestment in AAPI voters despite recent surges in AAPI voter turnout across the nation.

Tim Hwang

Congratulations to Tim Hwang and FiscalNote! CQ roll call owner FiscalNote struck a $1.3 billion SPAC deal and announced plans to go public through a merger with Duddell Street Acquisitions Corp.

Connie Chung Joe

Connie delivered a keynote address, “Stopping Anti-Asian Hate: How to Be An Ally,” at Friends of Korea’s annual meeting.

Jerry Kang

President Biden nominated Professor Kang to be a member of the National Council on the Humanities. He was selected for his expertise in implicit bias and experiences as a professor of law and Asian American studies. He is also UCLA’s founding vice chancellor for equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Luke Kang

Disney announced its plans to include more Asia-Pacific original content on their Disney+ streaming platform.

Alyson Kil

Congratulations to Alyson for her promotion as the Chief of Public Health at Fort Hood! She spoke at the Association of Occupational Health Professionals (AOHP) in San Diego and was awarded the Armed Forces Service Medal for her efforts in COVID-19 management.

Dow Kim

The Dow Kim Family Foundation will be sponsoring the holiday party for 100+ Korean American Family Service Center’s (KAFSC) clients, including the victims of domestic violence and their children, on November 18th in Queens. This will be the first in-person holiday party for KAFSC since COVID-19.

Duyeon Kim

Duyeon authored an article in the World Politics Review about North Korea’s recent submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) test, the two Koreas’ arms build-ups, and recommendations for what Washington and the international community should do about North Korea. She also contributed a book chapter titled “Nuclear Issues on the Korean Peninsula” which discusses the nuclear beginnings in both Koreas (energy and weapons), nuclear elements affecting the two Koreas today, and future nuclear issues affecting the Koreas, region, and the world.

J. Joseph Kim

INOVIO Pharmaceuticals has received regulatory authorization to conduct a Phase 3 Efficacy Trial of its COVID-19 vaccine in Mexico and in Colombia. Recently, INOVIO received authorization to conduct trials in Brazil and the Philippines.

Kenneth Kim

Dr. Kim was interviewed by CNN about his thoughts that coronavirus is not going away and people need to learn to live with it with a practical and precautionary approach. He also spoke on ABC7 News about the US authorization to mix-and-match COVID-19 vaccine booster shots.

Soo Kim

Soo Kim was selected as RAND’s Women to Watch for October, which highlights talent and experience among RAND women in research and leadership.

Jennifer Koh

Jennifer recently performed at the Pivot Festival with Missy Mazzoli in San Francisco. Her performance was reviewed in Datebook and The Rehearsal Studio blog.

Jean Lee

Jean was featured in Columbia College Today, where her unprecedented work as a journalist in North Korea was highlighted. She was the only AP reporter allowed to stay in North Korea, which rarely grants entry to Western journalists, for an extended period of time. She also participated in a discussion with Andrew Yeo, Brookings Visiting Fellow and SK-Korea Foundation Chair, regarding his new book.

Jessica Lee

Jessica published an op-ed about ending the Korean War in Foreign Policy and what Squid Game teaches us about North Korea in Responsible Statecraft, appeared on Fox5 DC, and spoke at DHS/The Asian American Foundation’s conference on how misinformation fueled the rise of anti-Asian hate.

June Lee

June has joined the Board of Directors of GenEdit, whose mission is to revolutionize gene therapy.

Linda Lee

In a recent interview with Patch, Linda spoke up about encountering misogyny and intimidation in District 23’s City Council primary race due to her identity.

Renee Lee

In her part-time military role, Renee joined the air staff of D.C. National Guard as a Public Affairs Officer. In this position, she advises the leadership of D.C. National Guard on public affairs activities, including media relations, strategic communications, and outreach. In her full-time civilian capacity, Renee continues to work at the Department of State in the Bureau of Global Public Affairs.

Youngwon Lee

Youngwon was featured in a Diablo article, exploring his unique and experimental craft beer flavors. Dokkaebier incorporates traditional Asian flavors, such as gochugaru, into its flavor profiles.

Don Liu

Don shared about the other side of his Asian American professional experience as part of Ascend Leadership’s campaign to shine light on what it is like to be AAPI in the workplace.

Andreas Moon

I Squared Capital has established Cube Green Energy, a renewable energy platform dedicated to transitioning to a zero-carbon economy. The company is also set to acquire a majority interest in SOILCO, a leader in the organics recycling industry.

Kee Park

Kee Park will serve as the Chair of the Global Neurosurgery Committee of the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies from 2021 to 2023. He also co-authored a report regarding North Korea’s health care system. In this report, the authors provide an overview of their health care system using the World Health Organization’s Health Systems Building Blocks Framework and analyze the country’s ability to address a global public health crisis.

Michele Park

Michele has recently joined New Enterprise Associates as a Partner based in its Menlo Park office. A veteran life sciences investor, Michele’s experiences will be an asset to NEA’s healthcare investing practice.

Wade Pyun

Wade Pyun was recently elected to the Board of Directors for the Southern California chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC). With over 40,000 members in 85 countries, the ACC is a global bar association that promotes the common professional and business interests of in-counsel counsel.

Jaewon Ryu

The Geisinger Health System has opened a 65 Forward Center in State College, PA. This initiative aims to provide a one-stop health and wellness center for patients aged 65 and older.

Kate Seitz

Kate moderated the third day of Ascend Midwest’s Inspiring Across Generations conference. Their theme was Embracing Resilience: From the Past, at Present, and Into the Future.

Jenny Town

As a panelist, Jenny spoke on the challenge of being an expert in a male-dominated field like nuclear security. She and fellow panelists explore the progress and pitfalls involving gender diversity in the area of policy.

Mimi Song

Super Grocers held its Annual Foundation Golf Tournament where they raised over $400,000 to support schools, music and arts, health and wellness, and scholarships for higher education.

Charles Yoon

On behalf of the Korean American Association of Greater New York, Charles was honored at the 2021 Norman Vincent Peale Awards for Positive Thinking for championing a thriving Korean American community.

Suzanne Yoon

Suzanne shared her entrepreneurial story on the Leadership Reimagined podcast episode “The Power of Diversity in Private Equity.” Tune in as she and host Janice Ellig discuss her trailblazing success in a male-dominated private equity world.