The Wilshire Center Koreatown Neighborhood Council (WCKNC), which began its new term in July 2023, is continuing its efforts to regain its momentum.
WCKNC has reportedly secured additional funding from EmpowerLA, the organization that manages the city’s 99 neighborhood councils. WCKNC’s current annual budget is $32,000.
On January 9, WCKNC Chair Mark Lee said, “We are pleased to announce that we will receive an additional $10,000 in funding starting in June, when the new fiscal year begins, bringing our total to over $40,000,” said WCKNC Chair Mark Lee. “We are excited about the increased benefits to the community, but more importantly, it is a recognition of the normalization and development of the neighborhood council. We will continue to grow.”
The WCKNC also elected new members this month, reinforcing the organization’s commitment to a fresh start.
Four board members – Ryan Min, Md Omar Faruque, Un Ji Lee, and Jason Choi – resigned last year due to personal reasons, and five seats became vacant last month when delegate Claire Cannon passed away due to health reasons.
The WCKNC confirmed the election of Kevin Kim, Joseph Lee, Shin Oh, Esmaeili Ali, and J.T. Kim as new members of the WCKNC at its regular meeting on January 8.
The new members come from a variety of backgrounds, including a CPA and an escrow marketing manager.
“I am a native of Koreatown who has lived here since 1985,” said Kevin Kim. “I will help other delegates to make the town cleaner and more livable.”
“All of the new members are bilingual and have lived in Koreatown for more than 10 years,” said Chair Lee. “We focused on recruiting new faces to serve the community.” Lee said the organization will hold elections to fill vacancies in January and June each year.
Meanwhile, the WCKNC voted on January 8 to continue holding all of its meetings in person. In November 2023, the Los Angeles City Council approved legislation in accordance with state law SB411, granting neighborhood councils the choice to conduct meetings either in-person or via teleconference, thus enabling them to independently decide their meeting format.
“During my last term on the WCKNC, meetings were held via Zoom, which was disruptive and lasted until 12 a.m.,” said Hoyle Kang, who previously served on the WCKNC, at the meeting.
The WCKNC voted to hold all meetings, including regular meetings and subcommittee meetings, in person.
BY SUAH JANG, JUNHAN PARK [park.junhan@koreadaily.com]
