WHO WE ARE
The Korean-American Next Generation Council (KANGC) is a student-led organization based in the Greater Washington area. We were founded in 2022 with the goal of giving Korean-American middle and high school students the opportunity to participate in civic engagement through politics.
WHAT WE DO
We uplift Korean youth.
The KANGC is devoted to giving Korean youth the opportunity to engage in government and politics. We host field trips and tours to government buildings like the White House, United States Capitol, and the Virginia State Capitol. We also invite Korean politicians and influential figures to come and speak with our members.
Additionally, we help organize the annual K-Kimchi Washington DC Festival, an annual Korean culture festival hosted in Northern Virginia. With over 250+ attendees, the festival aims to introduce and celebrate our culture with our communities.
President's Statement
Claire Kim, 2025
Representation in the media had offered glimpses of belonging, but seeing that representation within the institutions that make and shape our laws stirred a different kind of hope. It made the idea of political participation feel not only possible, but personal for many individuals.
The Korean-American Next Generation (KANG) Council was founded on this very belief—that Korean-American youth should not just learn about civic engagement, but be part of it. Over the past few years, the Council has grown not just in size, but also in spirit. It’s been deeply rewarding to see how students who once felt disconnected from political discourse now lead discussions on voter participation, educational equity, and language access. We have become a platform where culture and civic duty go hand in hand.
Our two main events reflect that balance. Each year, we organize the K-Kimchi Festival in Washington, D.C.—an event that honors Korean culture by teaching the art of making traditional kimchi, while bringing communities together through cultural exchange. In addition to our annual festival, we host legislative tours, organize voter outreach campaigns like “Go Vote!” and “Souls to the Polls,” and meet directly with lawmakers, such as Young Kim, So Lim, and Ilryong Moon. By distributing translated sample ballots within the Korean community, we help ensure that language is never a barrier to representation or participation in our democracy.
As a Council, we've organized a variety of opportunities for our youth to learn about the legislative process and step into political roles. One of our most transformative experiences was our trip to Richmond, Virginia, where we witnessed firsthand the workings of the Virginia General Assembly. There, our students sat-in on a session of the Virginia General Assembly and were formally introduced and recognized for our work by Delegate Irene Shin. Soon after, members met with active Virginia delegates and senators, advocating for policies that directly affect our communities, including education funding and language accessibility in schools.
Through our work, we are actively rewriting what it means to be civically engaged as Korean-American youth. In a government where Asian-Americans still make up a small fraction of elected leaders, we are giving youth the opportunities to become changemakers who understand that democracy is strengthened by diverse voices. Our goal is to create a society where future generations of Korean-Americans can see themselves reflected in our country’s political leaders.
Our Team
Meet the students behind the impact!
