(코리아타운뉴스) “Chairman Wanted”

L.A. Korean Chamber of Commerce has no candidate
Korean organizations are struggling to find leaders

The concern is growing larger by the day at the Los Angeles Korean Chamber of Commerce. No candidate has expressed an interest in running for its 41st chairman position to replace Eun Lee.

Normally, the organization had a clear idea on who is tipped to become its next leader by the end of every March when the annual gala is hosted. The unwritten rule within the organization has been that whoever pays the bill for the after-party following the main event is the one who is interested in becoming the chairman.

However, after this year’s event, no one stepped up to pay the bill. No one since then has shown an interest in replacing Lee to lead the organization.

Many other community organizations within L.A. Koreatown are struggling to find leaders. Recently, some organizations even had to postpone its election or helplessly ask the outgoing chairman to carry on.

Once a symbol of success and honor, a leadership position at a community organization is no longer attractive to most people.


▶ Personal business
The reality is that chairmen of most community organizations simply do not have the time to look after his or her own businesses. As a leader representing an organization, meeting and event invitations are inevitable.

“There is obviously some preparation, but leaving your own business behind creates a big void,” said a former chairman of a community organization. “A leadership role means that you’re more or less giving up one or two years of your own work.”


▶ Chairmen are overworked
Many Korean organizations are still chairmen-centric in their daily operations. The chairman is the one responsible for brainstorming, planning and executing business ideas. Unless the chairman is at the forefront, there is not much that can be accomplished at most organizations.

“I would’ve achieved bigger success if I worked as hard as I did with my chairman position with my own personal business,” said one former organization chairman.

Lee, the L.A. Korean Chamber of Commerce chairman, said: “It’s not right for the chairman to put in the work like a regular employee. The chairman should be responsible for carrying the leadership role. Perhaps a vice-chairman could be hired to share the workload a bit. That should create a system for the chairman to find the balance between several roles that need to be played.”


▶ Heightened prerequisites for the chairman position
Although less people are showing interest in becoming chairman, many organizations are ironically demanding more highly skilled candidates for the role. An ability to speak English and familiarity with the American culture are becoming more important than ever.

The concept of a Korean-American organization centralizing itself within the community is now outdated. The L.A. Korean Chamber of Commerce and other organizations are essentially requiring leaders to speak English. It is no longer a lie when one says that the first generation immigrants will now feel burdened to take such a role.


By Moonho Kim