Various leaders of Korean-American community organizations gathered to hold an official press conference on Thursday to express their support for Robert Ahn, a 41-year-old candidate who is set to run for California 34th congressional district.
Among the attendees were Korean American Federation of L.A. chairwoman Laura Jeon, Federation of Korean Associations USA chairman Jae-kwon Kim, Korean American Bar Association founder Byeong-su Min, former KABA president Jane Ok and current KABA president Lloyd Lee.
“Experience is critical when a politician makes a policy,” said Jeon. “It’s imperative that we have a Korean congressman to represent the Korean-American community in Washington D.C.”
Min added: “I’m not supporting Ahn only because he is Korean. I’m supporting him because I know that he is a qualified candidate who can also contribute to the society as a whole with a comprehensive understanding of the Korean-American community.”
Second generation Korean-Americans also rallied behind Ahn.
“I was immensely impressed by Ahn’s willingness to fight at the forefront whenever there was an issue within the Korean-American community, such as the redistricting issue,” said Lee.
The 34th district includes L.A. Koreatown, as well as Chinatown, Little Tokyo, Eagle Rock, Pico-Union and Lincoln Heights. The district has nearly 50,000 Asian-American voters, 18,000 of whom are reportedly of Korean origin.
“I’ve always dreamed of uniting the first and second generation Koreans by voicing our opinion on various issues,” Ahn said. “That’s why the support from my community means a lot more to me.”
By Won Hee Cho
