Dear Subscriber, 

Welcome to our February newsletter!

See below for member updates, events recap and recent news on the Korean American community.

Remember to like us on  Facebook  and follow us on  Twitter  for more news and updates about CKA.

Thank you.

Sincerely,
Paul Park
Program Manager
CKA Member Updates
Daniel Aum published a piece in The Diplomat about the one thing that Kim Jong-un did not say in his plenary speech which could signal that he's still open to negotiations with the United States.
Sam Cho was officially sworn into his newly elected position as Commissioner at the Port of Seattle. Sam made history by being the first elected official to take his oath of office in both English & Korean. His term is for 4 years and he will be up for re-election in the year 2023. Sam is the only person of color serving on the commission made up of 5 elected members. 
Juliet Choi was recently promoted to the position of Executive Vice President and Chief of Staff at the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum.
Charles Jung accepted a volunteer position as the Executive Director of the California Asian Pacific American Bar Association (Cal-APABA). Cal-APABA represents the interests of California’s approximate 13,000 Asian Pacific American attorneys in advancing public policy and professional development.
Lucy S. Lee served as a panelist on the presentation entitled “Cures for a Cosmopolitan Hangover: What We’re Doing for International Clients Following Tax Reform” at the 54th Annual Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning in Orlando, Florida on January 16. Lucy also gave a presentation on “Tax and Estate Planning for Global Entrepreneurs & Private Companies” at the Estate Planning Council of Portland’s 49th Annual Estate Planning Seminar in Portland, Oregon on January 24.
Chang Lim was recently promoted to partner at Knobbe Martens , a leading intellectual property law firm with 275+ lawyers and scientists nationwide, dedicated to all aspects of intellectual property and technology law, including litigation.
Bonnie Oh was featured in an interview by Korean American Story where she shares her experiences growing up under Japanese occupation, fighting for Asian American and Women Studies and her extensive academic career.
Sunny Park received the Freedom Award from the Georgia Public Policy Foundation. The Freedom Award is given to a notable Georgian who exemplifies private enterprise and personal integrity.
L. Song Richardson was appointed to the Committee on Revision of the Penal Code by California Governor Gavin Newsom.
Jeffrey Roh 's incubator IntuitiveX was ranked in the top five health startup incubators in the United States.
Nancy Yoon hosted the Korean American Law Enforcement Organization Gala (KALEO) on January 18 with the highest in command Korean American Deputy Chief of Los Angeles Police Department, Dominic Choi who was recently promoted to this position. Nancy also became the new host for Charter Spectrum News 1 show, “ Owning a Piece of America ,” a show focusing on empowering immigrants and celebrating diversity.
2020 CKA-KALCA
Public Service Internship Program
The 2020 CKA-KALCA Public Service Internship (PSI) Program will provide generous scholarships of up to $3,500 for undergraduate upperclassmen, graduate students, and recent graduates to finance full-time, unpaid summer internships in the public/nonprofit sector in Washington, DC and New York City!

In addition to covering the cost of living, the program will provide students with programming and speakers from federal, state and local government; major think tanks and foundations; and community-based nonprofit organizations.
January Events Recap
On January 12 , CKA members met with the Mayor of Seoul, Park Won-soon , for a luncheon meeting to discuss how the Korean American leadership community can cooperate together with the city of Seoul to support innovation, entrepreneurship and U.S.-Korea relations.
On January 30 , CKA co-hosted an event with the Asia Society Texas Center entitled, "Security Risks and Challenges on the Korean Peninsula." CKA member Jean Lee , Director at the Wilson Center, and Scott Snyder from the Council on Foreign Relations spoke on the rising geopolitical tensions on the Korean peninsula and how the U.S. and the international community can bring North Korea back to the table for nuclear talks. Special thanks to our hosts Sue and Randy Sim , as well as Edward Allen , Chairman of the Asia Society Texas Center, for serving as the panel moderator.
Korean American Community
On January 9, Yuri Kim was sworn in as the U.S. Ambassador to Albania , making her the first Korean American woman to represent the nation as an ambassador. Ambassador Kim is a career diplomat who has worked on key foreign policy and national security issues across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
On January 13, the Korean American Vietnam Allies Long Overdue for Relief Act (H.R. 5590) was introduced to the House of Representatives. More than 4,400 Korean troops were killed and 17,000 injured fighting alongside U.S. troops during the Vietnam War. Although these Korean veterans suffer the same illnesses associated with exposure to toxic chemicals such as Agent Orange, they are not eligible to receive the same VA treatments. On top of that, any Korean veterans who have become U.S. citizens are blocked from most South Korea public assistance programs. Under the proposed act, these veterans would be able to gain access to VA health care.
Congratulations to Dr. Jonny Kim on becoming the first Korean American NASA astronaut ! The former Navy SEAL and physician recently completed NASA's Artemis program, making him eligible to participate in missions to the International Space Station, the moon and even Mars. A total of 13 graduates, including Dr. Kim, were selected from a record-setting pool of more than 18,000 applicants.
The Council of Korean Americans (CKA) is a national nonprofit organization. Our mission is to advance the national voice, interest, and influence of the Korean American community through education, collaboration, and leadership development.
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