On the 18th, NW Asian Weekly Awards was held to award Honorable Asian Americans including two Korean Americans at a China Harbor restaurant in Lake Union. Federal Way chief of police Andy Hwang and Seattle deputy mayor Heyok Kim were awarded by the NW Asian Weekly for overcoming penalties of being in a minority group and becoming leaders of the leading society of the U.S.
The event awarded Ketu Shah, the first Indian judge of the King County, Marry Yu, the first Asian-Latin American King County superior court judge, Vikram Jandhyala, vice provost for University of Washington center for Commercialization, Cathy Niu, the founder of Golden Sun Financial Education, Mary Knell, the chief executive officer of Wells Fargo Washington and Western Canada Commercial Banking teams, Aaron Levine, sports director for Q13, and Brad Miyake, Bellevue’s city manager.
During the event, Andy Hwang, the first Korean to ever become the chief of police stated “my parents who migrated from South Korea to Olympia have raised us working as janitorial staff.” And also mentioned that “without the bottomless support from my parents and my family.”
Hyeok Kim, who got pioneering award from the KAC-WA’s annual general meeting the day before, stated that “as a Seattle deputy mayor, I will always work to promote people’s safety and make policies that are for the people.”
Many other leaders and major officers of Seattle including deputy mayor of operations of Seattle Kate Joncas came to the event to congratulate deputy mayor Kim for receiving such award.
For the event, Hyung Seung Jun, King County judge, and Shari Song, senate candidate for Washington State, also participated to award nominees, showing Korean-power within the Asian community in the U.S.
For this year’s NW Asian Weekly Award, Andy Hwang, chief of police, and Hyeok Kim, deputy mayor of Seattle, are known to be recommended by Suchan Lee, president of Seattle conference of the National Unification Advisory Council, and Buwon Yoon, chief of Korean Community Service Center WA, to become awardees for the event.
by Jay-Kwon J Park
