Abraham Kim to Lead The Korea Society, Ushering in New Chapter for U.S.–Korea Relations

Abraham Kim, secretary-general and representative (executive director) of the Council of Korean Americans (CKA), has been appointed the next president of The Korea Society (TKS), a nonprofit dedicated to promoting friendship and cooperation between the United States and South Korea. He will officially assume the role on January 19, 2026, succeeding Thomas Byrne, who has led the organization for the past decade.

As CKA’s secretary-general and representative, Kim has focused on strengthening the influence of the Korean American community and cultivating the next generation of leaders. He graduated from Boston University and Harvard University, and earned a Ph.D. in political science from Columbia University.

A founding member of CKA in 2011, Kim previously served as Deputy Director of the Korea Economic Institute of America (KEI), a national security analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), and head of Asian research at the global political risk consulting firm Eurasia Group.

Kathleen Stephens, Chair of the Board of The Korea Society and former U.S. Ambassador to South Korea, said Kim’s vision and experience would “lead the organization to a new stage of growth and engagement.”

Founded to enhance mutual understanding and foster economic and cultural exchanges between South Korea and the United States, The Korea Society includes business leaders, scholars, and public officials from both nations as its members.

BY YEONGCHAE SONG [song.yeongchae@koreadaily.com]