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Asia Society to honor Ambassador Sung Kim at gala

May 16, 2014

Ambassador Kim, who is the first Korean American to serve as Seoul’s top U.S. diplomat, will receive the Diplomat of the Year award for 2014.(Newsis)

By Tae Hong

Sung Y. Kim, the U.S. ambassador to Korea, will be one of those honored at Asia Society Southern California’s annual gala dinner on May 19 in Los Angeles.

Ambassador Kim, who is the first Korean American to serve as Seoul’s top U.S. diplomat, will receive the Diplomat of the Year award for 2014.

Jonathan Karp, executive director of Asia Society, said Kim has done a lot to advance relations between the U.S. and Korea in the past three years. Karp said Kim would provide a lecture on the state of security in East Asia at the gala in conjunction with receiving his award.

The ambassador was born in Seoul but grew up in L.A. before going on to overseas assignments in Seoul, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong as a part of the Foreign Service. Kim was the Special Envoy for Six-Party Talks before taking on his current post.

Other honorees are Ming Hsieh, a Chinese technology entrepreneur who will receive Philanthropist of the Year, and Sylvia Wu, a noted restaurateur and author who will take home the Culinary Legacy award.

The annual dinner, which is expected to draw more than 400, will be emceed by actress Tamlyn Tomita and feature a live musical performance by pianist and violinist Ray Uskikubo and a live auction conducted by Sotheby’s.

The VIP reception will begin at 6 p.m. at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel.