Beong-soo Kim named USC’s first Korean American interim president

For the first time in its history, the University of Southern California has appointed a Korean American to lead the institution.

The USC Board of Trustees announced on February 5 that Beong-Soo Kim, the university’s senior vice president and general counsel, will serve as interim president beginning July 1.

Kim will assume the role following the departure of President Carol Folt, who is stepping down on June 30.

In a statement, Board Chair Suzanne Nora Johnson and Vice Chair David C. Bohnett said Kim has demonstrated strong leadership in handling critical legal and administrative matters at USC.

“He has effectively led the university’s response to key strategic challenges,” the statement read. “His leadership will help ensure stability and continued progress during this transition.”

The board cited Kim’s deep understanding of USC’s academic, research, healthcare, and athletics programs, as well as his integrity and ability to guide the university’s operations.

Kim, 52, said he is honored by the appointment and aware of the responsibility it entails. “It’s a tremendous honor and privilege to serve in this role,” he said in an interview with The Korea Daily on Feb. 6. “I am grateful to work alongside such outstanding faculty, students, and administrators.”

Since joining USC in 2020, Kim has played a key role in addressing some of the university’s most pressing challenges. As general counsel, he helped oversee:

• The $1 billion settlement with victims of sexual abuse by a former campus gynecologist
• USC’s response to the Varsity Blues admissions scandal
• The university’s COVID-19 operational policies
• Protests related to the Israel-Palestine conflict and the cancellation of USC’s main commencement ceremony
• Campus labor unionization efforts and changes to the university’s tuition assistance policy

Kim said his experience as general counsel has given him a broad perspective on USC’s operations, from academics and research to student affairs and athletics. “This role has allowed me to engage with nearly every aspect of the university and understand its complex structure,” he said. “As interim president, I will take a more active role in ensuring that USC continues to thrive.”

With a background in federal prosecution and corporate law, Kim previously worked at Kaiser Permanente, where he served as vice president and assistant general counsel. Before that, he was a partner at the international law firm Jones Day and spent nearly a decade as an assistant U.S. attorney in Los Angeles, where he led the Major Frauds Section and oversaw high-profile financial crime prosecutions.

Kim will serve as interim president until the university selects its next leader. USC has convened a presidential search committee to identify a successor to Folt, who has led the institution since 2019.

The committee, co-chaired by trustees Carmen Nava and Mark Stevens, includes board members, faculty, staff, students, and alumni. The board has not set a timeline for the selection, but Kim said he hopes a new president will be appointed by July 2026.

BY YOONJAE JUNG [jung.yoonjae@koreadaily.com]