2019 was a critical year during which KAC realigned its vision and mission. Under the leadership of Executive Director Eunice H. Song, who was newly appointed in 2018, KAC reestablished its three core values of service with the CAL acronym: Civic Engagement, Alternative Dispute Resolution, and Leadership Development.

We revitalized KAC’s signature leadership programs: the National College Leadership Conference (NCLC) and the Summer College Internship (SCIP). And we held our 39th NCLC at Pepperdine University where 20 students from universities including Amherst College, Brown University, Cornell, Lewis and Clark College UC Berkeley, UCLA, UCSD, and University of Oregon convened for a transformative experience that involved the cultivation of leadership skills with respect to the Korean American identity. 27 speakers from various fields such as law, medicine, science, journalism, and government volunteered their time to inspire and empower these students.

Since 1997, KAC’s bilingual 4.29 ADR Center has served the Los Angeles Korean community by mediating a wide range of organizational conflicts and disputes between parties such as landlord/tenant and consumer/merchant. With consideration to the growing number of Korean American constituents seeking our ADR services, KAC was able to secure a 30% increase in grant funding  from Los Angeles County WDACS. The 4.29 ADR Center successfully closed 100 cases in 2019 and trained 35 new mediators in partnership with the Asian Pacific Dispute Resolution Center. Each of KAC’s staff members and regular volunteers have also been trained as certified mediators in order to better serve the ADR Center’s growing needs.

At the close of 2019, KAC successfully hosted the 2nd annual Celebrating Korean American Leadership event. We had the honor of awarding the 2nd Annual Luminary Awards to Mrs. Jihee and Mr. Peter Huh, Co-Founders of Pete’s Seafood and CEO/Chairman and Vice President of PAFCO, respectively. The 2019 Luminary Honorees are not only partners in their multinational business venture, but partners in marriage who embody the values of LIGHT (Leadership, Impact, Generosity, Hope, Tenacity) in their dedication and service to the community at large.
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Our staff, community members, board of directors, and volunteers tirelessly work to better serve, advocate for, and empower the Korean American community in the greater Los Angeles area. On behalf of those we serve, thank you for standing with us. Our work is possible because of remarkable donors, partners, and volunteers like you.
Together, we are Korean American Coalition. Let us mobilize for the advancement of our community in this next critical year.

​Sincerely,