This year’s election was highly anticipated, not only because we voted for presidential candidates, but also because there was a record number of Korean American candidates on the down-ticket positions.
As of December 14th, among the 31 candidates running for local offices, 17 have been elected,
1. Joon Chung, Councilmember, Borough of Harrington Park, NJ
Councilmember Chung was re-elected to her fourth term in the Borough of Harrington Park this year. Born in Seoul, Korea, she immigrated to Harrington Park in 1983 and has been a resident for over 30 years. She was first elected in 2011 as the first Korean American woman councilmember in Harrington Park. She also served as Council President between 2014 and 2018.
Before she entered public service, Councilmember Chung worked as president of a Korean Parents’ Association and implemented a volunteerism program at Harrington Park School. Harrington Park School received the Jefferson Award in 2012, a prestigious national award honoring community and public volunteerism.
2. Mark Park, Councilmember, Borough of Englewood Cliffs, NJ
Educated in South Korea, Mr. Park was re-elected to his second term in the Borough of Englewood Cliffs this year. He was first elected in 2015 and lost in 2018. He has been a resident of Englewood Cliffs since 2010.
Mr. Park had previously served on the Englewood Cliffs Council from 2016 to 2018, taking part of multiple roles and committees as the Planning Board Liaison, Chair of the Finance Committee, as well as Member of the Public Safety Committee and Community Events Committee.
Beyond his experience in local government, Mr. Park is a prominent member of his local Korean American community, having served as the President of the New Jersey Korean-American Chamber of Commerce and the Chairman of the New Jersey Chapter of the Korean American National Republican Committee.
3. Paul Yoon, Councilmember, Borough of Fort Lee, NJ
Councilmember Yoon was re-elected to his second term in the Borough of Fort Lee this year. He was the second Korean American to be elected as Councilmember in the Borough of Fort Lee in 2017.
Prior to his service in Fort Lee, Councilmember Yoon had served as special assistant to Washington D.C. Mayor Anthony A. Williams, with whom he assisted with the advancement of legislation and policies in partnership with the federal government, local and state governments and agencies and other organizations.
Councilmember Yoon is also an experienced trial attorney in the areas of commercial litigation and criminal defense, and is a partner at Florio Perrucci Steinhardt and Fader. He had also served as an assistant prosecutor in the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office and he began his career as a law clerk to the Honorable Joseph P. Donohue of the Superior Court in New Jersey.
Beyond public service, Councilmember Yoon takes part in various boards such as the board of directors for the Center for Hope and Safety, the Korean American Family Service Center, and the Korean American League for Civic Action. He is a former president of the Asian Pacific American Lawyers Association of New Jersey and the Korean American Association of Fort Lee.
4. Young Sung, Place 6 City Councilmember, Carrollton, TX
Without any other candidates running, Councilmember Sung was re-elected to his second term in the Carrollton City Council this year. He was first elected in 2017 as the first Korean American to hold a city council seat in the state of Texas. He was appointed as Mayor Pro Tem in June 2019. He has been a resident of Carrollton since 1980. Councilmember Sung is a 1.5-generation Korean American who came to the U.S. with his parents when he was eleven.
During his first term, Councilmember Sung led Carrollton City’s active support for the 2019 Korean Festival. He also supported building the Carrollton Veterans Memorial to commemorate Korean American Veterans who fought in the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
Councilmember Sung is a Newman Smith high school graduate. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Business Management at Tennessee’s Maryville College, and received his MBA from Le Tourneau University.
Councilmember Sung is a licensed Real Estate Broker and Certified Court Interpreter and Mediator. He is a member of the DFW MetroTex Realtor Association, the Association of Realtors at the state and national level, the Texas Association of Judiciary Interpreters & Translators, and the Korean Chamber of Commerce.
Councilmember Sung also served the community in various voluntary roles. He served as the Board of Director for the Carrollton/Farmers Branch Rotary Club and President of the Korean-American Soccer Association Team/Liaison, and Translator for the 94’ Korean World Cup Soccer Team. He also served on the City Capital Improvements Plan Advisory Committee.
5. Jae K.Park, Councilmember, Borough of Palisades Park, NJ
Mr. Jae Park was elected to his first term in the Borough of Palisades Park this year. He has been residing in Palisades Park after his retirement since 2006.
Mr. Park came to the U.S. in the 1970s to study and majored in management engineering in graduate school and worked in numerous corporations on the senior management level and retired. He currently serves on the Palisades Park town planning board and takes charge of external affairs in Palisades Park Korean Voters’ Association.
6. Bong June Kim, Councilmember, Borough of Norwood, NJ
Mr. Bong June Kim was elected to his first term in the Borough of Norwood this year. Born in Seoul, Korea, Mr. Kim has resided in Norwood over 10 years.
After graduating from University of Michigan, Ann Arbor with a BBA in Business, he went to Syracuse College of Law for J.D. He was admitted to practice law in the state of New York and New Jersey and also in the U.S. Supreme Court. He served in the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York in the Third Judicial Department, the Southern and Eastern District Courts of New York and District Courts of New Jersey. He has also served as Chairman, Vice Chairman and Investigator of the Supreme Court of New Jersey’s District Attorney Ethics Committee for Bergen County.
He is the founding member of Kim & Bae, P.C., a law firm with over 20 professional employees specializing in complex civil and commercial litigation in both domestic and international arenas – Fort Lee, NJ and New York, NY. He is also the founding member of Kim & Bae Foundation to support underprivileged children.
7. Tammy Kim, City Councilmember At-Large, Irvine, CA
Ms. Kim was elected to her first term as the first Korean American woman to ever serve in the Irvine City Council. Born in Seoul, South Korea, Ms. Kim is a second-generation Korean American who came to the U.S. with her parents when she was one.
She is the Finance Commissioner for the City of Irvine and also the Founder and Managing Director of the Korean American Center, a division of Korean Community Services, the largest social service organization serving the Korean American community in Orange County.
As a former Fortune 500 company executive, Ms. Kim has experience in resolving highly complex business, management, and legal issues within large-scale enterprises. She has managed multi-million budgets, and overseen business operations on a global basis. As a small business owner, Ms. Kim has worked with start-up companies and venture capital firms to help them improve business functions for themselves and their portfolio clients.
Ms. Kim has also been a community activist, providing a voice for Irvine’s diverse community. As a nonprofit community leader, she has advocated for Irvine working families, promoted bilingual education and ethnic studies, protected and expanded language access for voters, and has worked to ensure that Irvine receives its fair share of resources through full participation in the federal census. She has served on the Irvine Global Village Festival Steering Committee, Irvine Census Complete Count Committee, Chair, Language Access Committee for the Orange County Registrar of Voters, and Education Advisory Committee for Cottie Petrie-Norris.
8. Fred Jung, City Councilmember, Fullerton, CA
Mr. Jung was elected to his first term as the first Korean American to ever serve in the Fullerton City Council. Born in Seoul, South Korea, his family immigrated to the U.S. when Mr. Jung was 5 years old. He was raised in Fullerton.
He serves as a city commissioner on the Traffic and Circulation Commission appointed by Councilmember Bruce Whitaker. He was one of three finalists who ran for the Fullerton City Council vacant at-large seat in 2019.
Mr. Jung founded the Junior All American Bears non-profit organization in 2008, which is one of the largest and most diverse youth football and cheer organizations in North Orange County. Under his leadership, the organization won the Super Bowl Championship 5 times, and the 2020 Cheer National Championship in their respective league. He strives to include all children and families, irrespective of their ethnic or economic background and/or disability.
As a community leader, Mr. Jung has volunteered countless hours in Fullerton’s Korean-American community as a chair of the Westbluff Homeowners Association.
9. John Jun, Place 5 City Councilmember, Coppell, TX
Mr. Jun was elected to his first term as the first Korean American to ever serve in the Coppell City Council. An immigrant from South Korea to Guam at age 10, Mr. John Jun joined the U.S. Navy out of high school and served on the carrier U.S.S. John F. Kennedy from 1986 to 1990. He is a 21-year resident of Coppell City.
Mr. John Jun has been a Texas-licensed attorney since 2012. He worked as an attorney and partner at Park & Jun, PLLC since 2015. He also found the Jun Law Firm in 2013.
He has served the community within and outside of Coppell since 2003. He served in various organizations including Korean Society of Dallas, Dallas Korean Trade Association, and Korean-American Coalition. He is the former president of Korean-American Coalition; an organization which he helped establish as one of the founding members in 2004. He has also been in the Coppell City Manager’s Advisory Group since 2016 and on the Coppell Board of Adjustment since 2017.
Mr. Jun graduated from SMU with a B.A. in political science and public policy with a minor in philosophy in 2006 and got his J.D. from Florida Coastal School of Law in 2012.
10. Megan Yoo Schneider, Division 7 Director, Municipal Water District of Orange County, CA
Director Schneider was re-elected to her second term in the Municipal Water District of Orange County. Her professional experience, passion for water, and dedication to her community influenced her decision to run for the MWDOC Board in 2016.
Director Schneider’s passion for water, public health, and the environment is showcased by her involvement in numerous organizations. Since 2004, she has served in a number of leadership roles, including Committee Chair, Ad-Hoc Vice Chair, member of the Committee Leadership Council, and member of several Steering Committees, the Water Environment Federation, Past President and board member of the Santa Ana River Basin Section, and on the board of directors for the California Water Environment Association. She is also a member of the American Water Works Association and several other water-related professional associations.
Director Schneider received two degrees from the University of California, Irvine, a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Chemical Engineering with a Specialization in Environmental Engineering, and a Master of Science (M.S.) in Engineering with a Concentration in Environmental Engineering.
11. James Na, President, Chino Valley Unified School District Board of Education, CA
Mr. Na was re-elected to his fourth term in the Chino Valley Unified School District Board of Education this year. He was first elected to the Board of Education in 2008 and has been re-elected in 2012 and 2016.
Mr. Na is a business owner and has two children attending Chino Valley Unified schools. He is a board member of the Chino Valley GATE Students Parents Association, Friends of the James Thalman Library and Friends of Reagan Park. He is active in the Calvary Chapel Chino Hills Watchman Ministry and the Chino Valley Chamber of Commerce. He is a member of Rancho del Chino Rotary and has been appointed to the San Bernardino County Commission on Seniors Affairs.
12. Stephanie Jang, Board Member, Palisades Park Board of Education, NJ
As the former president of Palisades Park Board of Education, Ms. Stephanie Jang was re-elected to her second term in the Palisades Park Board of Education this year. She was first elected in 2017. She previously ran for Palisades Park Councilmember this year but lost.
As an educator, she has worked as an independent educational consultant and has served many students to enroll jr. & sr. boarding schools and top elite colleges. She has extensive experience in admission counseling, academic counseling, college counseling, and SAT math tutoring.
Ms. Jang also has been deeply involved with community services. Activities include political services in local school boards and non-profit organizations.
13. Sung Hui (Chris) Kwon, Closter Board of Education, NJ
Ms. Kwon was re-elected to her second term in the Closter Board of Education this year.
14. Philip Choi, Englewood Cliffs Board of Education, NJ
Mr. Choi was re-elected to his second term in the Englewood Cliffs Board of Education this year.
15. Katherine Kang, Englewood Cliffs Board of Education, NJ
Ms. Kang was re-elected to her second term in the Englewood Cliffs Board of Education this year.
16. Kevin Lim, Board Member, Palisades Park Board of Education, NJ
Mr. Kevin Lim was elected to his first term in the Palisades Park Board of Education this year. A 29-year resident of the United States and 11-year resident of Palisades Park, Mr. Lim ran for Board of Education by the recommendation of Palisades Park Korean American Voter Association.
Mr. Lim is an accountant and has served as the chairman of the Finance Committee of the New Jersey Korean-American Chamber of Commerce and is currently serving as a certified public accountant of the Fort Lee Chamber of Commerce.
17. Daniel Lee, Board Member, Leonia Board of Education, NJ
Mr. Daniel Lee was elected to his first term in the Leonia Board of Education this year. He has over 18 years of experience as a Professional Civil Engineer in Municipal and Commercial Land Development. He has worked as a Municipal/Planning/Zoning Board Engineer for multiple municipalities in Northern New Jersey. He has a proven track record of planning and executing complex projects involving multiple stakeholders including the public and government agencies.
Mr. Lee is also a parent of two children attending ACS and active in the Leonia community serving in ACS/LMS Fifth Grade Relocation Parent Advisory Committee, Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Transportation and previous coach for T-ball and AYSO soccer.