“I hope to be a bridge for the Korean community to feel as though they have access to the City Hall and have my community’s voice heard”
On May 3, student reporter Heather Yang interviewed Jieun Kim, Deputy Director of Korean Language Communications for the office of Karen Bass. Located in Downtown Los Angeles, the City Hall.
Yang interviewed Kim about her experience at this newly opened job position with the help of videographer Maverick Shin. we will release a shorter clip on the KNEWSLA Instagram and a full-length video on our Youtube.
On January 3, 2024, Mayor Karen Bass announced the addition of a Korean Communications Director to the Office of Communications. Previously, there had only been a Deputy Director of Communications for the Spanish language.
As a Deputy Director of Korean Language Communications, Jieun Kim advocates for the Koreatown community in Los Angeles, aiming to bridge the language gap between the City Hall and the Korean community.
We spoke to Deputy Director Kim Ji-eun at LA City Hall to hear about his thoughts and experiences.
The following is a Q&A with Deputy Director Kim Ji-eun.
What is your goal as a Deputy Director of Korean Language Communications at the Mayor’s Office?
Kim: I hope to be a bridge for the Korean community to feel as though they have access to the City Hall and have my community’s voice heard. With Los Angeles holding one of the largest concentrations of a Korean community, I feel as though my job allows me to mediate conversation between the two communities. One of the most recent examples of me playing this role would be with the May 2 LAPD shooting. The incident caused a significant amount of uproar and distrust between the Korean Community and Los Angeles Police Department, and my ability to translate all of the news media allowed Mayor Bass to be able to alleviate the situation and look for solutions.
Through this position, I think I am able to shed light on a great deal of issues and influence the general public that communication is possible despite language barriers, and that there is always a viable solution.
Kim: I am extremely honored to hold this position. Especially because Los Angeles is such a diverse community of people from different ethnicities, I feel lucky that Koreans are finally being represented in such a large community. I mean, previously there had only been a Deputy Director of Communications of Spanish Language, and I am so happy that Asian communities are getting more recognition.
With May being AAPI month, I am even seeing celebratory days with my team and I am so happy to be a part of representing my community. Holding the position of a Director of Communications allows me to be a factor in minimizing misunderstandings between the City Council and the Korean community.
I think that the Korean community has historically struggled with communication because English has never been mandatory in such heavily concentrated communities. Particularly in older generations, they struggle with voicing their concerns as English is not their first language, and I am able to give back to my community by helping them bring their concerns to Mayor Bass.
What made Mayor Bass interested in opening this position for Koreans specifically? Why not any other ethnic group?
Kim: Mayor Bass has always understood that Americans and Korean Americans have a very complex and nuanced relationship, and her love for our culture has fostered a unique sense of compassion in her. She wanted to look out for the community, but felt that this language barrier was hard to overcome without an interpreter and actually being able to understand the concerns, and that is where I come in!
<Heather(Seoyoung) Yang Student reporter>hseoyoungy@gmail.com
Seoyoung Yang is a Sophomore Student in Immaculate Heart High School. She is interested in Koreatown, its gentrification phenomenon, and Korean American culture.
