Edward Kim appointed Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York

A Korean American is set to take office as the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, overseeing key financial hubs such as Wall Street.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced on November 25 that Edward Kim, Deputy U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, will assume the role of Acting U.S. Attorney following the resignation of Damian Williams. Williams, who announced his intention to step down on the same day, will serve until December 13.

The Southern District of New York, known for its jurisdiction over Wall Street and its focus on financial crimes, is one of the most influential prosecutorial offices in the country.

Williams, during his tenure, earned the nickname “Wall Street’s Grim Reaper” for his dedication to investigating white-collar crimes.

Kim, who will step into the acting role next month, has been with the U.S. Attorney’s Office since 2008. Specializing in fraud and cybercrime investigations, he has received three Special Achievement Awards from the Department of Justice and was named Prosecutor of the Year by the Federal Law Enforcement Foundation (FLEF) in recognition of his work.

In 2017, Kim co-founded the law firm Krieger Kim & Lewin, where he practiced until January of this year. At the firm, he specialized in cases involving financial fraud, cryptocurrency scams, money laundering, and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). He returned to the Southern District of New York in February as Senior Counsel and Deputy U.S. Attorney, and now steps into the acting leadership role.

Kim is a distinguished graduate of Brown University (1998) and Harvard Law School, where he graduated at the top of his class in 2004.

BY YEOL JANG [jang.yeol@koreadaily.com]