Korean American Journalists Association
Encyclopedia
The Korean American Journalists Association (KAJA) was founded in 1987, but the organization for professional journalists of Korean-American descent or journalists who specialize in Korean- or Asian - American issues, fell dormant. A new incarnation of KAJA was begun in 2005.
Over time, as the leadership entered their 60s and 70s, KAJA became dormant, until a younger generation took up the reins and rebooted KAJA.
of KNBC/NBC, Eleanor Hong of washingtonpost.com, HyunJu Chappell Hine of The Washington Post, and Carolyn Ayon Lee, a veteran wire-service writer and editor, sought to reactivate KAJA. They realized that KAJA's mission, to accurately portray Korean-Americans, Koreans and Korea in mainstream United States media, was still of vital importance, and that this role was not being filled by other similar organizations, such as the Asian American Journalists Association, with which KAJA maintains a little sister-big sister relationship.
These journalists were sparked by the legacy of the 1992 Los Angeles riots
. The North Korea-South Korea dynamic was growing tense, amidst U.S. President George W. Bush
’s categorization of North Korea
as part of an "axis of evil
."
With the help of Grace Jang of KoreAm Journal and Ariana Eunjung Cha of The Washington Post, this small group of Korean-American journalists organized a daylong conference on Oct. 29, 2005, in Los Angeles at the Korean Cultural Center. Its focus was North Korea media coverage and issues.
Calvin Sims, a longtime foreign correspondent for The New York Times, delivered the keynote address to the audience of members of the Korean-American community and local journalists. Excerpts of Sims' documentary, Nuclear Nightmare: Understanding North Korea, were screened. Filmmaker Jim Butterworth presented his award-winning Seoul Train
-- which has been shown in venues all over the world, including broadcast on the U.S. Public Broadcasting System stations, except South Korea.
Origin
Four Korean-American reporters -- pioneers among Asian-American journalists -- founded the Korean American Journalists Association, or KAJA, in 1987. They held an inaugural gathering at Arirang restaurant in New York City. KAJA was born from the discussions at that meeting. KAJA's founding officers and their KAJA titles: K.W. Lee of The Sacramento Union, president; K. Connie Kang, legal affairs reporter of the San Francisco Examiner, vice president; Kapson Yim Lee, a veteran of Korean ethnic media, including the Korea Times newspaper, secretary/treasurer; and T.S. Suhr of Los Angeles, a journalist-turned-lawyer, who joined KAJA's board of directors and helped draw up its bylaws.Over time, as the leadership entered their 60s and 70s, KAJA became dormant, until a younger generation took up the reins and rebooted KAJA.
Rebirth
In 2005, four Korean-American journalists, Jinah KimJinah Kim
Jinah Kim is a Korean American reporter for NBC News and KNBC in Los Angeles, California. She is also President of the Los Angeles chapter of the Asian American Journalists Association. She is the Co-Founder of WorldWiseProductions.com....
of KNBC/NBC, Eleanor Hong of washingtonpost.com, HyunJu Chappell Hine of The Washington Post, and Carolyn Ayon Lee, a veteran wire-service writer and editor, sought to reactivate KAJA. They realized that KAJA's mission, to accurately portray Korean-Americans, Koreans and Korea in mainstream United States media, was still of vital importance, and that this role was not being filled by other similar organizations, such as the Asian American Journalists Association, with which KAJA maintains a little sister-big sister relationship.
These journalists were sparked by the legacy of the 1992 Los Angeles riots
1992 Los Angeles riots
The 1992 Los Angeles Riots or South Central Riots, also known as the 1992 Los Angeles Civil Unrest were sparked on April 29, 1992, when a jury acquitted three white and one hispanic Los Angeles Police Department officers accused in the videotaped beating of black motorist Rodney King following a...
. The North Korea-South Korea dynamic was growing tense, amidst U.S. President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
’s categorization of North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
as part of an "axis of evil
Axis of evil
"Axis of evil" is a term initially used by the former United States President George W. Bush in his State of the Union Address on January 29, 2002 and often repeated throughout his presidency, describing governments that he accused of helping terrorism and seeking weapons of mass destruction...
."
With the help of Grace Jang of KoreAm Journal and Ariana Eunjung Cha of The Washington Post, this small group of Korean-American journalists organized a daylong conference on Oct. 29, 2005, in Los Angeles at the Korean Cultural Center. Its focus was North Korea media coverage and issues.
Calvin Sims, a longtime foreign correspondent for The New York Times, delivered the keynote address to the audience of members of the Korean-American community and local journalists. Excerpts of Sims' documentary, Nuclear Nightmare: Understanding North Korea, were screened. Filmmaker Jim Butterworth presented his award-winning Seoul Train
Seoul Train
Seoul Train is a 2005 documentary that deals with the dangerous journeys of North Korean defectors fleeing through or to China. These journeys are both dangerous and daring, since if caught, they face forced repatriation, torture and possible execution....
-- which has been shown in venues all over the world, including broadcast on the U.S. Public Broadcasting System stations, except South Korea.