Yong Soon Min’s “Rhizomatic! Fiddleheads!” installation (below) is part of a multicultural exhibition of 15 contemporary artists, titled “An Idea Called Tomorrow,” on display at the California African American Museum. There is also a concurrent exhibition at the partnering Skirball Cultural Centers.

By Jimmy Lee

Being part of an exhibit titled “An Idea Called Tomorrow” suits Yong Soon Min perfectly. When the California African American Museum and the Skirball Cultural Center asked her along with 14 other artists from diverse backgrounds “to imagine and create what a civil and just future looks like,” the University of California- Irvine professor did not hesitate. Min has infused activism into her art for much of her life.

Her piece, “Rhizomatic! Fiddleheads!” on display in the atrium of the California African American Museum in Los Angeles, highlights historical quotes from the likes of Jesse Jackson to Kurt Cobain in a “graphical-textual” installation. Spanning some two dozen windows at the museum’s entryway, Min’s vinyl cut-outs use the metaphor of the rhizome, the part of the plant that can form a network of interconnected roots, to playfully depict how political and social movements can yield glorious flowerings.

It was a much less dramatic event, however, that would set the stage for Min’s future as an artist, back in 1960, the year she immigrated to Monterey, Calif., from South Korea. She was in the second grade, she explained to KoreAm in an interview last month, and her art teacher had assigned her some homework that would yield some glorious flowering of her own. Continue Reading »

Harold Koh formerly clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun and has championed international human rights and the U.S. adoption of international norms, such as a ban on the death penalty and stricter gun control. An outspoken critic of the Bush administration’s anti-terrorism tactics and treatment of detainees, he drew conservative ire during his confirmation process for the Department of State post. At around the same time, his name had surfaced on many short lists as a candidate for Supreme Court Justice. As the State Department Legal Adviser, Harold represents the U.S. government before international courts and tribunals and will play a key role in formulating the nation’s policy on handling detainees. He served as Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor during the Clinton administration, and is currently on leave as the Dean of Yale Law School.

What cases are you working on currently?
I’m working on a whole range of issues relating to September 11, [the closing of] Guantanamo, and the task forces that the President set up to deal with September 11. I just argued the Kosovo case at the International Court of Justice [related to the question of Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence from Serbia in February 2008]. I’m going to argue a case before a NAFTA tribunal at the end of [January].

Some people in the United States and abroad believe that the previous administration gave insufficient consideration to international law and consensus. The current administration appears to be succeeding in changing the perception of America. What message do you think President Obama wants to send to the rest of the world?
We want to live our values, and we think doing so makes us safer and stronger. We believe that we’re stronger when we operate in a framework of law and there are some problems that we can’t solve without the help of international law, like piracy or H1N1.

Some prominent jurists, such as U.S. Justice Ruth Ginsburg, have promoted the benefit of giving ear to international perspectives in the process of Supreme Court decisions. You yourself have written extensively on transnational jurisprudence. How do you respond to critics who claim that this view could erode American sovereignty and democracy?
That [criticism] is based on an outmoded view of the world we live in. We don’t live in a world where nation-states are billiard balls that have no connection with one another. We’re deeply intertwined. The mortgage crisis in the United States leads to the collapse of banks in Iceland. So the question is how to manage our engagement in this system of globalization. And the best way to protect our sovereignty is to engage, not remain isolated.

If the general counsel of one of the largest multinational corporations in the world didn’t understand transnational law, you would consider that malpractice. So if the general counsel of the State Department also understands [the importance of international law], that doesn’t suddenly turn into giving away sovereignty.

I am guessing that your interest in international affairs may partly stem from your father, Kwang Lim Koh, who was the top South Korean diplomat to the United States in 1960—but where does your progressive nature come from?
I grew up in America in the 1960s. I was here during the civil rights movement and the debate over the Vietnam War. I’ve lived long enough to see an African American become president and a woman be twice Secretary of State, and I’ve served under two of them. That to me suggested America as a place where people can progress. In my own life, we’re children of immigrants. Two of us have had the chance to serve the country in important jobs. So how can I not have faith in this country and the capacity of immigrants to progress in this country?

You grew up in a big household—in addition to Howard, you have four other siblings. I imagine there must have been some colossal fights over the last piece of galbi at the dinner table. What was your relationship like with your siblings growing up in New Haven?
We were very close then, and we’re very close now. We listened to classical music, rock-and-roll. We played games, we played baseball, we played two-on-two basketball. We learned about American society together.

You overcame a struggle with polio in your youth. How has this experience shaped your life, both superficially and more substantively?
Just having good health is a blessing. People who have had perfect physical health tend not to appreciate that. It’s a miracle to be able to walk and run. I spent time as a child in a wheelchair so when I see someone who’s disabled, I tend to empathize with their point of view.

You and your siblings seem to be the Korean mom’s dream to the nth degree. I sympathize with the kids who grew up next door to your family. Did you ever get into any mischief growing up, like breaking windows while playing baseball?
Everything that you could imagine happened to us.

Any interesting stories that you’d care to share?
No. [Laughs]

What activities or interests do you turn to today as solace from international law and politics?
I’m a devout fan of the Boston Red Sox. I love movies. I love to read books about history and politics as well as biographies.

That [last one] doesn’t count as leisure. They still involve international law and politics!
Well, I don’t think of [law and politics] as work. Every job I’ve ever held, I would have done for free so I don’t really think of it as work. I think of it as a passion.

What are you favorite movies?
Casablanca and On the Waterfront.

Is your family with you in D.C.?
My wife is here. My children—one is in college and one is working—so they come to visit, but don’t live with us. My daughter Emily is working at a charter school in Brooklyn. She worked for the Obama campaign. My son William is a sophomore at Yale. He’s probably majoring in history.

Do you meet with Howard often?
We actually met at the White House a couple times. We have dinner, and he sends me an email almost every day. Here’s a funny story you’ll like. Yesterday I was at the office and a guy came up to me and said, “You’re speaking tomorrow at this event,” and I had no idea what this event was. So I thought, “Did someone not put this on my calendar?” I told him to send me the invitation and when I saw it, it was my brother who was giving the speech!

What advice do you have for aspiring lawyers or public servants?
Reverend William Sloane Coffin, who was a chaplain at Yale, used to say the purpose of education is not to drive a wedge between thought and action, but to enable action of a higher kind. So I think the purpose of your education is to allow you to give back—to render public service and be more effective in doing so.

Back to start

When President Barack Obama set out in his first year to tackle two of the most daunting tasks confronting the nation—improving the health care of Americans and restoring the standing of the United States in the international community—he looked for public servants whose reputation, expertise and experience would be commensurate with those formidable challenges. Two of his top choices turned out to be from the same family: mop-topped brothers from New England, armed with easy smiles, impeccable resumes and a penchant for the Boston Red Sox. Howard Kyongju Koh, 57, is the Assistant Secretary of Health at the United States Department of Health and Human Services. Brother Harold Hongju Koh, 54, is the Legal Adviser at the State Deparment.

In separate phone interviews, each spoke with KoreAm’s Frank Aum about their efforts to advance the goals of the Obama administration and their commitment to public service.

Dr. Howard Koh and Harold Koh

Continue Reading »

by Ellis Song

Do you remember the Korean drama Jumong? When the series aired on South Korean television in 2006, it had the highest ratings in the country, and won numerous accolades and awards. The historical drama centered on the journey of the titular character, Jumong Taewang, the founder of the kingdom of Goryeo. Maybe you knew all that. But how many of you knew that the series just came to a close last September in Iran? That’s right, the “Korean Wave” has landed on the shores of the Middle East. The drama, which aired on Channel 3, the third channel created by the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, was wildly popular among Iranians and had its fair number of zealous fans. There were even news reports of a young man who fell in love with the heroine Susano and committed suicide (or attempted to commit suicide) because his family refused to fund his trip to Korea. (Note: In Korea, there were also many unsubstantiated stories like this attesting to the show’s popularity.)

Continue Reading »

We’re profiling the twelve KAs in the Obama Administration. This is part 2 of 3. Read part 1 here.

Concensus Builder
Chris Kang

In his parents, immigrants who worked in special education in Indiana public schools, Chris Kang had in-house role models of public service while growing up. He took their example to heart and today works in the East Wing of the White House trying to persuade lawmakers to support the  policies of the Obama administration.

Kang, one of the president’s 10 special assistants for legislative affairs, came to the job with plenty of experience. He worked for Illinois Democratic Senator Richard Durbin for seven years, including his final four years running Senate floor operations for the Democratic Whip. Kang told Duke Law, his alma mater’s publication, that he learned about the power of the government to help or limit people from the experiences of his father, who lost his eyesight as a teenager and had to fight discriminatory laws in South Korea. His parents would become advocates for the disabled.

Kang told Duke Law that a key component of his job involves building relationships with members of the U.S. Senate and, whether they agree or not on policy, “trying to find concensus as often as possible.” One would guess, these days, in this highly partisan, “Tea Party” climate, Kang’s job is proving extra challenging.

People Mover
Betsy Kim

When a college-aged Betsy Kim came to Washington, D.C., for an internship with then-U.S. Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan of New York, she noticed all these young people—many not much older than she—working very long hours for practically nothing. Her reaction: she wanted in. Many years later, Kim finds herself steeped in the political scene as a key figure known for her activism in the Democratic Party and now working as White House Liaison at the Department of Labor.

Her primary role is to manage the personnel process for political appointees coming into the Labor Department, she says, and works closely with the White House in the process. “I spend a lot of time on the phone or walking the halls of my agency touching base with people,” Kim described. “My job involves a lot of information gathering and follow-up, and I find that personal contact is the best way to get that done.”

After graduating from Pomona College in California, Kim served as an assistant for then-U.S. Representative Daniel Akaka of Hawaii. A lawyer by profession, she has also volunteered for several elections, stretching back to President Clinton’s re-election campaign in 1996 and most recently, for Obama’s campaign. As former Deputy Director of the American Majority Partnership at the Democratic National Commitee, Kim developed strategies to increase Asian Pacific American political participation and is pleased to see that more APA votes are turning blue in every presidential election since 1992. An estimated 62 percent voted for Obama.

“There was a level of passion for this particular candidate and his message that I’d never seen before,” she said, noting the large number of Asian Pacific Americans who worked for his campaign and also the many, including three Cabinet members, serving in his administration.

The Liaison
Gary Lee

Like so may others, Gary Lee knew he wanted to work for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign, even before the then-U.S. senator announced his candidacy. After graduating from the University of Southern California, Lee put his minor in college—political organizing in the digital age—to good use, producing blogs, video and other social networking tools out of Obama’s Chicago campaign headquarters.

Today, he’s using all the skills he learned from college and campaigning as a White House legislative assistant, serving as a liaison for the president to members of Congress. “The most challenging part is the pace at which we’re going,” Lee, 24, told USC News, last summer. “As much as it is an honor to work at the White House, it’s also a sacrifice. There’s no balance between your work and your life. It’s all work and that’s your life.” But that wasn’t a complaint. Lee added that he loves what he does.

The Guardian
Rexon Ryu

As an assistant to National Security Adviser Jim Jones, Rexon Ryu is one of a handful of directors working on nonproliferation issues at the National Security Council, with a specific focus on Iran and Syria. Ryu formerly worked as a foreign policy adviser to retired U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), as an analyst at the State Department, and a special assistant to former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage. Hagel told Foreign Policy last January that his former staffer has “a good global assessment of reality and policy … and can talk simply, straightly, directly.”

story continued here >

more profiles
Born to Serve: David S. Kim
Lady in Green: Rhea S. Suh
POTUS’ BFF: Eugene Kang
Justice for All: A. Marisa Chun
The Confidante: Lucia Cho
Ebb and Flow: Anna Kim
Home Secure Home: Leezie Kim
Ready, Set, Swim: Eddie Lee