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NY Korean American association falls from graces of Korean govt

August 18, 2015

According to the Consulate General Monday, the troubled Korean American Association of Greater New York — which has been caught up in months-long internal conflict with two presidents who each claim sole legitimacy — will no longer have the support of the Korean government. (Newsis)

By The Korea Times New York staff

The troubled Korean American Association of Greater New York has fallen from the graces of the South Korean government.

According to the Consulate General Monday, the organization — which has been caught up in months-long internal conflict with two presidents who each claim sole legitimacy — will no longer be recognized by the Korean government and face exclusion from participation in all events organized or sponsored by it.

The association, founded 55 years ago, is one of the largest overseas Korean organizations in the world and effectively leads the Korean American community in New York City, which boasts the second-largest such population in the United States.

The conflict began with the association’s presidential election earlier this year, when Minsun Kim, who planned to run against the incumbent Sung Ki Min — who had been at odds with a group of former association heads — was taken out of the running as a candidate for violating campaign rules.

Kim filed a lawsuit against the association and, with help from the former heads, broke into the association’s offices, locked herself in and was designated president-elect by association leaders.

Min and Kim had separate inauguration ceremonies on the same day.

Min said the Korean government’s decision “completely disregards the New York Korean American community” and called it ”baseless.”

“If the Korean government, which should be fair, came to this decision because of the lawsuit filed against the association, then this is no different than the government taking the side of those who filed the suit,” Min said. “I will send a letter requesting they withdraw their decision.”

Kim said Min is the one who provided the reasons for the Korean government to make such decision.

“I’ve been working toward cooperation, but he has continued to deny compromise and conversation,” Kim said.