Sukhee Kang
Encyclopedia
Sukhee Kang is the current mayor
of Irvine, California
. Kang is a Korean American
Democrat
. On July 6, 2011, he announced his candidacy for the United States Congress
. If elected, he will be the only Korean-American in Congress.
5-ga in Seoul
, South Korea
to merchant parents from the city of Kaesong
. He served military draft duty in the Republic of Korea Army
from 1973-75 and immigrated to the United States in June 1977 from South Korea after receiving his Bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics from Korea University
in Seongbuk-gu
, Seoul
. When he was in a college, he joined the English debating club named Seoul PTC (Pine Tree Club) and served as the president from 1971-72. He received an honorary doctoral degree in Business Administration from Dongseo University
in Busan
, South Korea
in March 2011.
He began his professional career at Circuit City as a sales and customer service representative for 15 years (1977-92) , then since 1992, volunteered at KASF(Korean American Scholarship Foundation), KACF(Korean American Community Foundation) and the Orange County
Branch of Korean American Corporation, serving as the president in KADC(Korean American Democratic Committee) .
, during which more than 750 Korean businesses suffered extensive losses. Following the riots, Kang took on a more active role in civic and community affairs, and served as Chairman of the Korean American Coalition of Orange County and the Korean American Scholarship Foundation, Western Region.
Prior to his service on the Irvine City Council, Kang was a Governor’s appointee on the California Workforce Investment Board and was the Mayor’s appointee to the Irvine Finance Commission.
In November 2004, he was elected Irvine City Councilmember, and was re-elected in November 2006. He served twice as the Mayor Pro Tem. Kang served as a member of the Orange County Great Park Board, Orange County Sanitation District Board, Transportation Corridor Agency Board, Executive Steering Committee of the League of California Cities Orange County Division, and Orange County Transportation Authority Measure M Super Committee.
councilwoman, with 52.2% of the vote, to become the first Korean American to serve as mayor of a major U.S. city.
Kang was elected to a second term in November 2010 after defeating Christopher Gonzales, a Republican Party candidate, with 63.2% of the vote.
As mayor, Kang backed a $120 million deal with the Orange County Transportation Authority to lay the groundwork for a citywide public transit system.
Kang endorsed the Northwood Gratitude and Honor Memorial
and worked to achieve the unanimous Irvine City Council vote for its approval in December, 2009. The Northwood Gratitude and Honor Memorial, dedicated on November 14, 2010, has 5,714 names of U.S. service members that lost their lives in the current wars in Iraq
and Afghanistan
. It will be updated annually as needed.
Choi) in 1977. His son, Alan, received a MBA
from the University of Southern California
, and is currently a management consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers
. His daughter, Angie, is a graduate of UC Berkeley School of Law, is currently an attorney at Hulu
and was formerly an attorney at Latham and Watkins' Los Angeles
office.
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Irvine, California
Irvine, California
Irvine is a suburban incorporated city in Orange County, California, United States. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the city has a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census. However, the California...
. Kang is a Korean American
Korean American
Korean Americans are Americans of Korean descent, mostly from South Korea, with a small minority from North Korea...
Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. On July 6, 2011, he announced his candidacy for the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
. If elected, he will be the only Korean-American in Congress.
Early life
Sukhee Kang (강석희) was born at Yeji-dong near JongnoJongno
Jongno is one of the oldest major east-west thoroughfares in central Seoul, South Korea, connecting Sejongno to Dongdaemun. It remains one of Seoul's most important financial and cultural areas to this day...
5-ga in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
to merchant parents from the city of Kaesong
Kaesong
Kaesŏng is a city in North Hwanghae Province, southern North Korea , a former Directly Governed City, and the capital of Korea during the Koryo Dynasty. The city is near Kaesŏng Industrial Region and it contains the remains of the Manwoldae palace. It was formally named Songdo while it was the...
. He served military draft duty in the Republic of Korea Army
Republic of Korea Army
The Republic of Korea Army is the largest of the military branches of the South Korean armed forces with 520,000 members as of 2010...
from 1973-75 and immigrated to the United States in June 1977 from South Korea after receiving his Bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics from Korea University
Korea University
Korea University is a prestigious nonsectarian, private research university located primarily in Seoul, South Korea, and one of the SKY universities, a historical acronym used in South Korea to refer to Seoul National University, Korea University, and Yonsei University. Founded by Lee Yong-ik in...
in Seongbuk-gu
Seongbuk-gu
Seongbuk-gu is one of the 25 gu which make up the city of Seoul, South Korea. It is located in the mid-north part of the city. The current Mayor is Seo Chan-gyo, who has been mayor since July 1, 2006.-Administrative divisions:...
, Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
. When he was in a college, he joined the English debating club named Seoul PTC (Pine Tree Club) and served as the president from 1971-72. He received an honorary doctoral degree in Business Administration from Dongseo University
Dongseo University
Dongseo University is a major private university in the South Korean port city of Busan. About 300 full time faculty members and 600 instructors are employed. The current president is Dong Soon Park . It has 10,000 full time undergraduate students 500 graduate school students.-Four Educational...
in Busan
Busan
Busan , formerly spelled Pusan is South Korea's second largest metropolis after Seoul, with a population of around 3.6 million. The Metropolitan area population is 4,399,515 as of 2010. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
in March 2011.
He began his professional career at Circuit City as a sales and customer service representative for 15 years (1977-92) , then since 1992, volunteered at KASF(Korean American Scholarship Foundation), KACF(Korean American Community Foundation) and the Orange County
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
Branch of Korean American Corporation, serving as the president in KADC(Korean American Democratic Committee) .
Early political career
Kang first got involved in politics following the 1992 Los Angeles Riots1992 Los Angeles riots
The 1992 Los Angeles Riots or South Central Riots, also known as the 1992 Los Angeles Civil Unrest were sparked on April 29, 1992, when a jury acquitted three white and one hispanic Los Angeles Police Department officers accused in the videotaped beating of black motorist Rodney King following a...
, during which more than 750 Korean businesses suffered extensive losses. Following the riots, Kang took on a more active role in civic and community affairs, and served as Chairman of the Korean American Coalition of Orange County and the Korean American Scholarship Foundation, Western Region.
Prior to his service on the Irvine City Council, Kang was a Governor’s appointee on the California Workforce Investment Board and was the Mayor’s appointee to the Irvine Finance Commission.
In November 2004, he was elected Irvine City Councilmember, and was re-elected in November 2006. He served twice as the Mayor Pro Tem. Kang served as a member of the Orange County Great Park Board, Orange County Sanitation District Board, Transportation Corridor Agency Board, Executive Steering Committee of the League of California Cities Orange County Division, and Orange County Transportation Authority Measure M Super Committee.
Mayor
In November 2008 Sukhee Kang defeated Christina L. Shea, a RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
councilwoman, with 52.2% of the vote, to become the first Korean American to serve as mayor of a major U.S. city.
Kang was elected to a second term in November 2010 after defeating Christopher Gonzales, a Republican Party candidate, with 63.2% of the vote.
As mayor, Kang backed a $120 million deal with the Orange County Transportation Authority to lay the groundwork for a citywide public transit system.
Kang endorsed the Northwood Gratitude and Honor Memorial
Northwood Gratitude and Honor Memorial
The Northwood Gratitude and Honor Memorial is a memorial to those American troops that have lost their lives in the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The names on the memorial come from US DoD casualty records for Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn...
and worked to achieve the unanimous Irvine City Council vote for its approval in December, 2009. The Northwood Gratitude and Honor Memorial, dedicated on November 14, 2010, has 5,714 names of U.S. service members that lost their lives in the current wars in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. It will be updated annually as needed.
Personal life
Sukhee Kang is married to his wife Joanne Kang (néeNEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...
Choi) in 1977. His son, Alan, received a MBA
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
from the University of Southern California
Marshall School of Business
The USC Marshall School of Business is a private research and academic institution at the University of Southern California. It is the largest of USC's 17 professional schools. The current Dean is James G. Ellis. In 1997 the school was renamed following a US$35 million donation from alumnus Gordon S...
, and is currently a management consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers
PricewaterhouseCoopers
PricewaterhouseCoopers is a global professional services firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest professional services firm measured by revenues and one of the "Big Four" accountancy firms....
. His daughter, Angie, is a graduate of UC Berkeley School of Law, is currently an attorney at Hulu
Hulu
Hulu is a website and over-the-top subscription service offering ad-supported on-demand streaming video of TV shows, movies, webisodes and other new media, trailers, clips, and behind-the-scenes footage from NBC, Fox, ABC, and Obstacle on October 20th 2011 Nickelodeon and CBS and many other...
and was formerly an attorney at Latham and Watkins' Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
office.