KOREAN NET

The office of Korean American congresswoman Young Kim (Rep.-California) on Feb. 3 said she is the new chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific. (Screen capture from Kim's office website)

Korean American congresswoman Young Kim (Rep.-California) is the new chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific of the U.S. Congress, her office said on Feb. 3.

She is the first ethnic Korean to head the subcommittee.

Formerly known as the Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, Central Asia and Nonproliferation (APCAN), the subcommittee deals with ties with Korea and sensitive diplomatic issues involving China, Japan and Taiwan.

On her appointment, Kim said on her office's website, "America's national security ensures our way of life and protects the American dream for future generations," adding, "This requires our nation to be trusted by our allies, feared by our adversaries and followed by strong, decisive action by our leaders."

"U.S. foreign policy decisions in the Indo-Pacific region will be pivotal in determining America's future and standing on the world stage," she said. "I am humbled to serve as chair of this important subcommittee and will work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to promote global human rights, support fellow freedom-loving countries, strengthen free trade with our allies and hold our adversaries accountable."

Rep. Michael McCaul (Rep.-Texas), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, congratulated her appointment, saying, "I look forward to working with her on committee priorities including holding the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) accountable for their coercion and aggression in the region, urging the administration to properly resource our diplomatic and military presence in the region, and bolstering our relationship with Taiwan."

On Korea-U.S. ties, Rep. Kim on Feb. 4 said on her Twitter feed that she held talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Jin and Korean Ambassador to Washington Cho Taeyong on measures to promote free trade and secure supply chains between both countries. "Our partnership is more important than ever," she added.

Born in Incheon in 1962, Rep. Kim and her family immigrated to Guam in 1975 after she finished elementary school in Korea. She worked 21 years as an aide to former California Sen. Ed Royce, who is known for close ties with Korea and chaired the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

The congresswoman was elected to Congress in 2020 in California's 39th congressional district to succeed Royce and won a term in the 40th district last year. In the 117th Congress, she was a vice ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on APCAN and Nonproliferation and a member of the China Task Force.


By Yoon Sojung
arete@korea.kr