Second-Generation Korean American Shapes Biden's Marine and Atmospheric Policy Blueprint

Karen Hyun Appointed as NOAA Chief of Staff

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] A high-ranking Korean-American official has emerged in the Joe Biden administration.

Karen Hyun (Photo by U.S. Department of Commerce)

On the 25th (local time), the U.S. Department of Commerce announced the appointment of Karen Hyun as Chief of Staff of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Hyun joined the Biden transition team’s Department of Commerce organizational review team, making her a strong candidate for a senior position in the new administration.

NOAA is a federal agency under the Department of Commerce that monitors the earth’s oceans and atmospheric conditions, serving a role similar to Korea’s Korea Meteorological Administration.

The Washington Post reported that the team led by Chief of Staff Hyun will develop the Biden administration’s marine and atmospheric policies as well as climate change response measures.

Hyun is a second-generation Korean-American from Busan. After settling in Pennsylvania with her parents, she attended the University of Rhode Island and earned a Ph.D. in Earth Sciences from Stanford University. She also studied at Pukyong National University on a Fulbright scholarship. She has served as senior policy advisor at the Department of Commerce, deputy assistant secretary at the Department of the Interior, and chief of staff to the deputy secretary of commerce.

Since about ten Korean-Americans were included in the transition team’s organizational group, the entry of Korean-Americans into the Biden administration is expected to continue.

In diplomatic circles, names such as Jung Park, a Korea chair at the Brookings Institution and former CIA officer who served as the State Department’s special envoy for North Korea, and Sumi Terry, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) who served as director for Asia at the White House National Security Council (NSC), are being mentioned.

Former U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Sung Kim is serving as acting assistant secretary for East Asian and Pacific affairs at the State Department.

Two Korean-Americans have already joined the White House. David Cho is responsible for President Biden’s close protection detail. Also Korean-American, Gina Lee works as director in charge of First Lady Jill Biden’s schedule.