Robert Ahn, a director of the LA Korean American Federation (LAKAF), has been elected as the 37th president of the organization, winning unopposed in the recent election. The LAKAF Election Committee announced on the 6th that only Robert Ahn submitted candidacy paperwork by the deadline. Following an additional two-day period for documentation review, the committee plans to confirm his election and issue his certificate of election on the 7th if no issues are found.

According to the election rules, if only one candidate registers and the committee verifies the candidate’s documentation, the election result is confirmed without a vote.

In an interview with the LA Times, Ahn shared that his first priority as president will be to re-evaluate and reaffirm the Federation's role and goals. “The Federation was originally established with a clear purpose, but as the Korean American community has grown, certain needs and focuses have evolved,” Ahn explained. “Our organization is at a crossroads of generational change and expansion. We need to assess what core values we should maintain, which areas we should broaden, and ultimately establish a clear direction moving forward.”

Ahn also expressed a desire to focus the Federation’s efforts, stating, “Rather than spreading resources thinly, we should concentrate on areas where the Federation's involvement is most needed. Many Korean organizations already operate in the community, and overlap is inevitable, but we will work to streamline collaboration and improve communication for effective partnerships with other groups.”

Additionally, Ahn addressed plans to expand resources. “We aim to increase the resources available to the Federation by tapping into government funding and service provision channels. We will leverage both existing and new networks to enhance our capacity to support the community,” he noted. Ahn expressed gratitude for the contributions of past leaders and board members, adding that “with the Federation in a period of generational transition, I felt there was an opportunity for me to contribute.”

Robert Ahn, a real estate attorney and second-generation Korean American, is an alumnus of Harvard-Westlake School, Emory University, and USC Law School. He has previously served on the Los Angeles City Redistricting Commission, Urban Development Commission, and Cannabis Licensing Commission, with a long-standing involvement in the Korean American community. He has been a board member of the LA Korean American Federation since 2021.

Reporter: Han Hyung-seok

<Hyungseok Han>