KC Choi
KC (Casey, Choi Kwangchul) Choi is the CEO of his own business, supplying essential golf equipment to golf courses across the United States. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Kyung Hee University Law School and an MBA from Oklahoma State University Graduate School of Business.
Since 2016, he has worked as an organizer and activist of public diplomacy for the peace process on the Korean Peninsula, his dedication goes to promoting and educating the importance of peace on the Korean Peninsula among members of the US Congress and the general public. With accumulated knowledge and experience through the routine practices of voters’ peace movements with ordinary Korean Americans, Casey has become the expert in diaspora public diplomacy for peace. He emphasizes that the core value of diaspora public diplomacy for peace is the expansion of the diplomatic front and diplomatic perimeter – that is, the expansion of diplomatic participants in which the general public and compatriots can also actively participate. Casey served as the former co-representative of the Southern California Presidential Voting Participation Movement and currently serves as the Commissioner of the City of Buena Park in Orange County, California. He is also an operating committee member of the National Unification Advisory Council, and the Executive President of the Korean American Public Action Committee (KAPAC), which advocates peace on the Korean Peninsula with about 750 members.[1]
KAPAC fundraiser for Strickland
July 2021 a fundraiser by the Korean American community in the Seattle area for re-election of Representative Marilyn Strickland (Washington District 10), a Korean-American congressman from Washington State, was successful.
On the night of the 9th, the Strickland Sponsorship held at the Bellevue home of Seattle Korean President Lee Susan Lee was held in the presence of about 25 people who had agreed to donate in advance.
The support meeting held on this day, led by Park Seong-gye, president of the American Citizens Participation Forum (KAPAC) in Seattle, was hosted by Lee Su-jan and Hong Yun-sun, president and chairman of the Seattle Korean Association, Hong Seung-joo, president of the Washington Korean Day Festival Foundation, Kim Yong-gyu, former president of the Korean Federation of Federal Way, and Park Myung-rae, Pierce College International. Cooperation Director, Ryu Seong-hyeon, chairman of Seattle Neulpurun Solidarity, Jong Demron, Pyeongtong Seattle Council secretary, and Dr. KAPAC CEO Choi Kwang-cheol and KAPAC attorney Seung-woo Lee (senior vice president of KAPAC) attended the event in person, and Hong Sook-ran, Lisa Jo, and Park Mira-ssi also participated in the sponsorship.
Although he did not attend the sponsorship meeting, it is reported that a total of $23,000 in donations was raised on the day, as Kyu-ho Hwang, an overseas standing committee member, and Seong-hoon Kim, president of the Seattle Council, also contributed to the support.
Rep. Strickland, who attended the support meeting with Accounting Director Liz Hall, said, “I never forget my roots as a Korean. There are many people in the United States who misunderstand the history of Korea, but the heterogeneity between the two Koreas is a part of the old Korean history. In light of that, it is a very short period of time.” Strickland said, “We will be able to find a way to establish peace on the Korean Peninsula by simply knowing the history.”
Rep. Strickland, who was elected by an overwhelming majority in last year's election, is currently working hard for peace on the Korean Peninsula by promoting the 'Peace on the Korean Peninsula Act', the HR 3446 bill in the House of Representatives.
“I am proud of Congressman Strickland, who represents the interests of minorities, including Koreans, in the Federal Assembly,” said Lee Susan, president of the Korean American Association in Seattle.
KAPAC Chairman Choi Kwang-cheol also said, "Rep. Strickland's love for Korea led to the joint initiative of the federal parliamentary law related to peace on the Korean Peninsula." "Strickland's in-depth understanding of Korean history is amazing."
In particular, the participants concluded the sponsorship by forming a consensus that the Korean-American community should add strength to the U.S. House of Representatives election, which is held every two years, so that Rep. Strickland can continue to be elected.[2]
Korean
KC Choi with the Korean Unification Strategies Research Council.
Speakers
Korean American Public Action Committee speakers July 2021.
- Youngsun Park Minister of Small Business ROK
- KC Choi President Korean American Public Action Committee
- Taehwan Kwak Former President of Korea Institute for National Unification
- Rep. Brad Sherman
- K. Freeman Lee President of the Korean Community Lawyers Association
- Jinhyang Kim President of Gaesong Industrial District Foundation
- Rep. Judy Chu
- Kyunghyup Kim Member of National Assembly ROK
- Rep. Andy Kim
- Yeongchul Kim Unification Minister ROK
- Taehyung Brian Ahn Phd Pol Sci. Member of Korean American Public Action Committee
- Younggil Song Chairman of Foreign Affairs Unification Committee
- Kijung Kim Professor of political Studies Yonsei University
- Kunyoung Yun Member of National Assembly ROK[3]
Choi on Sherman Bill
A bill supporting “peace initiatives” on the Korean Peninsula could be introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by next week, according to a Korean American activist.
KC Choi, president of the Korean American Public Action Committee, said the bill would give the Biden administration “a lot of power” in Congress to pursue diplomacy with North Korea, South Korean news service News 1 reported Wednesday.
KAPAC, which advocates for U.S. engagement with Pyongyang, is a forum that represents several Korean American organizations, including Korean American Civic Empowerment and the Asian American Youth Council. More than 30 groups are represented in the forum, the report said.
KAPAC said U.S. Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, is expected to introduce the bill ahead of the first U.S.-South Korea summit May 21 in which President Joe Biden and South Korea’s Moon Jae-in are to meet at the White House.
The bill includes a call to end hostilities between Washington and Pyongyang. Supporters advocate creating of a U.S. liaison office for North Korea and other diplomatic initiatives.
Earlier this month, Voice of America reported that White House officials said Biden could be expected to walk a “middle ground” that includes diplomacy on North Korea. Washington will maintain pressure to achieve denuclearization, but also champion talks, the report said.
Choi told News 1 the introduction of the bill is a “big deal,” But Choi also said it is likely to not pass in the immediate term.
Last week, Sherman said the bill includes calls for U.S. support for the official end to the 1950-53 Korean War, according to KAPAC. The bill would be the first to call for the war’s end in Congress, according to South Korean news agency Yonhap.[4]
Open up North Korea
May 21, 2021 Casey Choi, president of Korean American Public Action Committee, a U.S.-based non-profit that advocates for engagement between the two Koreas, recently hosted U.S. lawmakers, including Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif., for an online forum on Korean Peninsula peace.
Choi told UPI that the United States should sign a peace declaration to end the 1950-53 Korean War because it would lead to an opening up of the North and subsequent improvements for the country's impoverished population.
"When [the United States and South Korea] build mutual trust with North Korea and remove fears over regime stability, the North will stop nuclear and missile development. This would enable Pyongyang to implement practical policies for the North Korean people, and accelerate the improvement of human rights in North Korea," Choi said.[5]