List of Korean Americans

Art and design

Dana Tai Soon Burgess, choreographer, cultural figure

Frank Cho, comic book artist (Spider-Man, The New Avengers), writer, and creator (Liberty Meadows)

David Choe, abstract artist

Doo-Ri Chung, fashion designer

Peter Chung, animator, creator of cult animated TV series Æon Flux

CYJO (Cindy Hwang), photographer, "KYOPO project"

Dennis Hwang, artist, Google doodler, game designer and artist of Pokémon Go

Derek Kirk Kim, cartoonist and author of critically acclaimed graphic novel Same Difference and Other Stories

Nic Cha Kim, founder of Gallery Row in Downtown Los Angeles

Scott Kim, puzzlemaster, artist, computer game designer

Yu Yeon Kim, curator of art

Il Lee, artist

Jae Lee, comic book artist (Namor the Sub-Mariner, Inhumans)

Jim Lee, best-selling comic book artist (X-Men, Batman, Superman) and co-creator (Gen¹³, WildC.A.T.s); co-founder of Image Comics

Lela Lee (1974– ), actress and cartoonist, creator of the comic strip and animated cartoons Kim, the Angry Little Asian Girl and Angry Little Girls

Jiha Moon, artist

Nam June Paik, Korean-born artist; father of video art

Greg Pak, writer, director, actor (Robot Stories)

Andy Park, comic book artist (Tomb Raider, X-Men)

Peter Shin, a director of Family Guy

Peter Sohn, animator at Pixar Animation Studios (The Good Dinosaur)

Amy Sol, contemporary artist based in Las Vegas, Nevada

Tommy Yune, comic book writer and artist (Speed Racer, Robotech) and animation director (Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles)

Business

Nelson Chai, investment banker and former CFO of the New York Stock Exchange

Do Won Chang, founder of Forever 21, billionaire

Justin Kan, co-founder of Justin.tv, Socialcam and TwitchTV

Daniel J. Kim, founder of Red Mango

Solomon Choi, founder and CEO of 16 Handles

David Lee, former senior vice president of finance at Best Buy, former CFO of Zynga; COO and CFO of Impossible Foods

Bill Kim, founder and CEO of Louis Raphael

David Kim, former CEO of Baja Fresh

David J. Kim, CEO and founder of C2 Education

James Kim, founder of Amkor, billionaire

Moon Kook-jin, founder of Kahr Arms, manufacturer of the Desert Eagle

Brian Lee, co-founder of Legalzoom.com, ShoeDazzle.com, and The Honest Company

Chong Moon Lee, founder of Diamond Multimedia

Curtis Lee, founder and CEO of Luxe

David Lee, real estate developer

Young Lee, co-founder of Pinkberry

Sabrina Kay, founder and chancellor of Fremont College

Thai Lee, CEO and president of the SHI International, billionaire

James Park, founder and CEO of Fitbit

Sung Won Sohn, professor of economics at California State University, former president of LA Hanmi Bank

James Sun, CEO and founder of GeoPage.com; The Apprentice finalist

Michael Yang, co-founder of mySimon, founder & CEO of Become.com

Gideon Yu, co-owner of the San Francisco 49ers and Executive Chairman and CEO of Bowers & Wilkins

Albert Lee, founder of MyFitnessPal

Richard Yoo, founder and former CEO of Rackspace

Timothy Hwang, founder and CEO of FiscalNote and president of the National Youth Association (NYA)

Peter Kim, founder of Hudson Jeans

Ilhan New, founder of La Choy

Kevin Kim, CEO and chairman of BBCN Bank

Jane Park, founder of Julep, cosmetics company

Jim Kim, founder of venture capital firm Formation 8

Culinary arts

David Chang, chef, owner of Momofuku Noodle Bar, Momofuku Ko and Momofuku Ssäm Bar in New York City

Judy Joo, chef, owner of Jinjuu Restaurant (London and Hong Kong) Iron Chef on Iron Chef UK; judge on Iron Chef America and The Next Iron Chef; host of Korean Food Made Simple Cooking Channel; judge on Kitchen Inferno

Beverly Kim, finalist on Top Chef (Season 9); first winner of Top Chef Last Chance Kitchen; chef at Bonsoiree, Chicago, Illinois

Kristen Kish, winner of Top Chef (Season 10); chef at Stir, Boston, Massachusetts

Entertainment

Philip Ahn, actor

Ailee, singer, dancer, musician, and actress (Dream High 2)

Nicole Bilderback, actress

Moon Bloodgood, actress

Johnny Yong Bosch, actor, best known as Adam Park in Power Rangers

Steve Byrne, comedian, actor

Theresa Hak Kyung Cha, author, video and filmmaker

Timothy Chang, comedian and actor

Arden Cho, actress, Teen Wolf

Henry Cho, comedian and actor

John Cho, actor who appeared in the American Pie franchise and Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle as well as the Star_Trek_(film_series) reboot series as Hikaru_Sulu; singer for the group Left of zed

Margaret Cho, comedian, former star of the television sitcom All American Girl

Smith Cho, actress

Kelly Choi, model, television presenter

Kenneth Choi, actor

Justin Chon, actor

Alexandra Bokyun Chun, actress, filmmaker

Daniel Chun, writer, co-producer (The Simpsons)

Jamie Chung, actress

Lee Isaac Chung, director

Philip W. Chung, playwright, founder and Artistic Director of Lodestone Theatre Ensemble

Morena Corwin, model and Playboy playmate

Piper Curda, actress and singer

Jessi, singer and rapper

Joy Dietrich, film director

Jon Gosselin, father of sextuplets; a subject of the reality show Jon & Kate Plus 8

Joe Hahn, DJ and sampler from Linkin Park

Mark Fischbach, YouTuber and actor

Bong Soo Han, "father of American Hapkido"; choreographed and performed in the fight scenes of Billy Jack

Heejun Han, singer and American Idol finalist (season 11)

Daniel Henney, model, actor in South Korea

Gene Hong, producer, writer, and actor on Wild 'N Out

Joshua Hong, singer; member of southern Korean group Seventeen (band)

Tiffany Hwang, singer, musical actress Fame as Carmen Diaz; member of South Korean group Girls' Generation

Chanel Iman, model

Ken Jeong, comedian, actor

Jessica Jung, singer, musical actress of the South Korean version of Legally Blonde: The Musical; former member of South Korean group Girls' Generation; sister of Krystal Jung

Krystal Jung, singer, dancer, actress, model; member of South Korean Girl Group f(x); sister of Jessica Jung

Nicole Jung, singer, dancer, and former member of South Korean girl group KARA

Joseph Kahn, music video and movie director

Michael Kang, writer/director (The Motel, West 32nd)

Sung Kang, actor (The Motel, Better Luck Tomorrow, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift)

Tim Kang, actor (The Mentalist)

Daniel Dae Kim, actor

Daul Kim, model

Evan C. Kim, actor, best known for his role in the 1977 John Landis comedy The Kentucky Fried Movie

Grace Kim, Playboy playmate

Jacqueline Kim, actress

Johnathan Staci Kim, actor

Randall Duk Kim, actor

Rebecca Kim, rapper, ex-member of band After School

Stephanie Kim, singer, dancer and member of South Korean girl group The Grace

Yunjin Kim, actress

Esther Ku, comedian

Yul Kwon, contestant on Survivor: Cook Islands

Denyce Lawton, actress, model

Alexander Sebastien Lee, actor, filmmaker

Andy Lee, singer, actor, and member of South Korean boy band Shinhwa

Becky Lee, contestant on Survivor: Cook Islands

Bobby Lee, comedy actor for MADtv

C.S. Lee, actor

Chris Chan Lee, filmmaker

Ki Hong Lee, actor (The Maze Runner)

James Kyson Lee, actor

Lee Ji-ah, actress

Justin Lee, actor

Lela Lee, actress and cartoonist

Liz Lee, actress, My Life as Liz

Megan Lee, singer, actress

Patricia Ja Lee, actress, best known as Cassie Chan in Power Rangers

Rex Lee, actor (Entourage)

Sung-Hi Lee, model who appears mostly in soft-core nude photoshoots

Will Yun Lee, actor (Die Another Day)

Mike Moh, actor, martial artist, stuntman (Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight)

Eric Nam, singer

Leonardo Nam, actor

Ricky Lee Neely, actor

Dennis Joseph O'Neil, model and actor

Soon Hee Newbold, filmmaker, actress, martial artist

Dennis Oh, actor

Soon-Tek Oh, actor

Joy Osmanski, actress

Hettienne Park, actress (Hannibal)

Ho Sung Pak, actor, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Liu Kang and Shang Tsung in Mortal Kombat

Grace Park, actress, Battlestar Galactica

Bobby Kim, smtm winner, rapper, singer, composer with IKON, MOBB

Jay Park, singer, rapper, b-boy, dancer, and former ex leader of 2PM

John Park, singer and first runner up of Superstar K2, Korean version of American Idol

Joon Park, actor

Linda Park, Korean-born actress (Enterprise)

Randall Park, actor (Fresh Off the Boat)

Steve Park, actor (In Living Color)

Soon-Yi Previn, actress; wife of Woody Allen; adoptive daughter of Mia Farrow

Lindsay Price, television actress

Phillip Rhee, actor (Best of the Best movies), Tae Kwon Do and Hapkido master

Cathy Shim, actress

Eddie Shin, actor

Keong Sim, actor

Sonja Sohn, actress

Stephen Sohn, model

James Sun, first runner-up, The Apprentice 6

Sunny, singer, radio DJ, member of Girls' Generation

Brian Tee, actor (The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift)

Cher Tenbush, model, actress, Beauty and the Geek

Nosaj Thing (Jason Chung), electronic musician

Jenna Ushkowitz, actress and singer (Glee)

Vernon (rapper), singer; member of South Korean group Seventeen

Suzanne Whang, host of HGTV's House Hunters, Polly on NBC's Las Vegas, award-winning stand-up comedian

Kevin Woo, singer, dancer and member of South Korean Boy Band U-KISS

Han Ye-seul, actress

Steven Yeun, actor (The Walking Dead)

Aaron Yoo, actor (Disturbia)

Christine Yoo, scriptwriter and director of Wedding Palace

Johnny Yune, comedian and actor (They Call Me Bruce?)

Karl Yune, model and actor (Memoirs of a Geisha, Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid, brother of Rick Yune)

Rick Yune, model and actor (Die Another Day, The Fast and the Furious)

Journalism

Virginia Cha, CNN News anchor

Juju Chang, ABC News anchor and reporter

Alina Cho, CNN News correspondent

Liz Cho, ABC News anchor and reporter

Sophia Choi, former CNN Headline News anchor, now at KVBC-DT

Arnold Kim, founder of MacRumors

James Kim, former senior editor at CNET

Lee Ann Kim, anchor and reporter for KGTV; executive director of the San Diego Asian Film Festival

Lisa Kim, NBC News news anchor for NBC11

Michael Kim, ESPN anchor

Corina Knoll, Los Angeles Times reporter

Suchin Pak, MTV News anchor and reporter

Eun Yang, NBC4/WRC-TV News anchor and reporter, Washington, DC

Phil Yu, founder and owner of the Angry Asian Man blog

Law and government

Judge Herbert Choy, appointed to the U.S Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit; first Asian American appointed to the federal bench

Wendy Lee Gramm, former head of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA); wife of former United States Senator Phil Gramm

BJ Kang, FBI agent, lead investigator of insider trading case against Raj Rajaratnam

Emil J. Kang, non-profit arts administrator, curator, professor. Youngest president and first Asian-American to head a major symphony orchestra. First Korean-American to be nominated by The President of the United States for membership in the National Council on the Arts National Endowment for the Arts

Young Woo Kang, policy advisor of the National Council on Disability of the US White House in 2001

Jae Y. Kim, Hackensack, New Jersey attorney appointed to Central Municipal Court judgeship in Bergen County, New Jersey in January 2011

Michael Kim, trial lawyer

Harold Hongju Koh, Dean of Yale Law School and former Assistant Secretary of State during the Clinton administration

Lucy H. Koh, Judge, US District Court for the Northern District of California, Appointed 2010

Ronald Moon, Chief Justice of the Hawai'i Supreme Court

Angela E. Oh, attorney and social/political activist best known for her role as spokesperson for the Korean American community after the 1992 Los Angeles Riots and her position on President Bill Clinton's One America Initiative

Annabel Park, founder of Coffee Party USA

John Yoo, Berkeley law professor and former Deputy Attorney General in the United States Department of Justice

Elected officials

Jun Choi, former mayor of Edison, New Jersey

Dr. Steven Choi, California State Assemblyman, 68th District

Hoon-Yung Hopgood, member of Michigan State House of Representatives, first Korean American elected to public office in Michigan

Sukhee Kang, former Mayor of Irvine, California

Mark L. Keam, member of the Virginia House of Delegates

Harry Kim, former Mayor of Hawaii County

Jane Kim, Supervisor in San Francisco

Jay Kim, former Republican Congressman from California

Ron Kim, first Korean American elected in New York State

Young O. Kim, former California State Assemblywoman, 65th District

Paull Shin, Washington state senator; Korean adoptee

Anna Song, trustee on the Santa Clara County Office of Education

Michelle Park Steel, Vice Chair, Orange County Board of Supervisors, representing the Second District

Sam Yoon, Boston City Councillor (2005–2009), first Asian American to be elected to the position in the city

Literature

See Korean American writers for a more extensive list.

Matthew J. Baek, illustrator, children's book author, and graphic designer

Leonard Chang, novelist, short story and TV writer

Alexander Chee, fiction writer, poet, journalist and reviewer

Kah Kyung Cho, philosopher and writer

Sook Nyul Choi, children's storybook writer

Susan Choi, novelist

Minsoo Kang, historian and writer

Younghill Kang, early Asian American writer; has been called "the father of Korean American literature"

Elaine H. Kim, writer, editor and professor in Asian American Studies

Elizabeth Kim, journalist and novelist

Eugenia Kim, author

Mike Kim, author

Myung Mi Kim, poet

Nancy Kim, author, lawyer

Richard E. Kim, author, professor of literature

Suki Kim, author, investigative journalist, novelist

Suji Kwock Kim, poet, playwright, author of Notes From The Divided Country

Corina Knoll, editor, journalist

Cecilia Hae-Jin Lee, writer and artist

Don Lee, author, editor

Ed Bok Lee, poet, writer

Mary Paik Lee, author of Quiet Odyssey(1990)

Walter K. Lew, poet and scholar

Nami Mun, novelist

Gary Pak, writer, editor and professor of English, noted as one of the most important Asian Hawaiian writers

Ty Pak, writer; speaker on Korean affairs and literature

Linda Sue Park, American-born writer

T. K. Seung, philosopher and literary critic

Cathy Song, poet

Jane Jeong Trenka, author of The Language of Blood

Monica Youn, poet, National Book Award finalist

Young Jean Lee, playwright and director

Ji-Yeon Yuh, reporter, writer, editor and professor in Asian American history

Military

Daniel Choi, US Army officer and gay rights activist

Susan Ahn Cuddy, first female gunnery officer in the United States Navy

Major Gen. Sharon K.G. Dunbar, Commander of the Air Force District of Washington (AFDW); Commander of the 320th Air Expeditionary Wing, headquartered at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland

Jeff Hwang, US Air Force fighter pilot and 1999 winner of Mackay Trophy

Colonel Young-Oak Kim, highly decorated US Army combat veteran of World War II and the Korean War; first non-white to command an Army combat battalion in US history

Fred Ohr, World War II ace fighter pilot

Peter M. Rhee, trauma surgeon and military veteran

Music

Ahn Trio, Juilliard-educated classical music trio, featured in print and television ads for Gap

Priscilla Ahn, alternative/folk singer

Ailee, singer

Amerie, R&B singer-songwriter, actress

Sarah Chang, classical violinist and recipient of the Avery Fisher Prize

Arden Cho, model, actress who also displays her singing and songwriting talents on YouTube

David Choi, singer-songwriter and YouTube sensation

Jae Chong, music producer, formerly of R&B band Solid

Clara Chung, singer

Dumbfoundead, rapper

Dia Frampton, musician, younger sister of Meg Frampton

Meg Frampton, musician, older sister of Dia Frampton

Shinik Hahm, conductor, professor

Joe Hahn, founding member of alternative rock band Linkin Park, multi-platinum and Grammy Award winner

Hei-Kyung Hong, soprano with The Metropolitan Opera Company

Joshua Hong, singer; member of southern Korean group Seventeen (band)

Tiffany Hwang, member of Girl's Generation

Danny Im of 1TYM, R&B singer based in South Korea

Yuna Ito, J-pop singer and actress; also of half-Japanese descent

Brian Joo, member of South Korean duo Fly to the Sky, R&B singer based in South Korea

Jessica Jung, former member of Girl's Generation

Krystal Jung, member of F(x); sister of Jessica Jung

Crystal Kay, J-pop (Zainichi Korean) singer

David Kim, concertmaster of the Philadelphia Orchestra

Earl Kim, pianist and composer; Harvard University professor

Eli Kim, of Korean boy band U-KISS

Paul Kim, classical pianist

Soovin Kim, violinist from New York City

Sean Lee, violinist, four-season concertmaster and teaching assistant at Juilliard

Kevin Kwan Loucks, pianist and arts entrepreneur

Lucia Micarelli, violinist

Eric Mun, rapper, actor and leader/member of South Korean boy band Shinhwa

John Myung, bass guitar player of progressive metal band Dream Theater

Eric Nam, singer

Soon Hee Newbold, composer, conductor and violinist

Karen O, lead singer of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Ken Oak, vocalist of Ken Oak Band

Eugene Park, electric violinist in South Korea

Jay Park, hip hop singer

Park Joon-hyung, member of g.o.d, rapper based in South Korea

Lena Park, R&B singer

Mike Park, ska and punk musician, founder of Asian Man Records

Teddy Park, member of 1TYM, singer/rapper/producer based in South Korea.

Todd Park Mohr, lead vocals/guitars/keyboards/saxophone of Big Head Todd and the Monsters

Son Hoyoung, of g.o.d, vocalist based in South Korea

Susie Suh, singer-songwriter, signed with Epic Records

T, R&B singer based in South Korea

Tiger JK, musician

Tim, R&B singer based in South Korea

Vernon (rapper), singer; member of southern Korean group Seventeen (band)

Steve Seung-Jun Yoo, singer kicked out of South Korea

Religion

Peter Ahn, translator of the New American Standard Bible

Hae Jong Kim, Bishop of the United Methodist Church

Andrew S. Park, theologian

Science, technology and education

Tae-Ung Baik, professor of law at the University of Hawaii Manoa William S. Richardson School of Law; legal scholar of international human rights law and Korean law

Victor Cha, professor in Asian studies, former Director for Asian Affairs in the White House's National Security Council

Dennis Choi, neuroscientist at Emory University, member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, former executive vice president for neuroscience at Merck, former chairman of the department of neurology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis

Howard Choi, spinal cord injury specialist

John Chun, designer of AC Cobra and Shelby Mustang GT350 and GT500 models; Tonka Toys designer

Jefferson Han, one of the main developers of "multi-touch sensing" technology, owner of Perceptive Pixel company

Moo-Young Han, physicist

Dennis Hong, professor and the founding director of RoMeLa (Robotics & Mechanisms Laboratory) of the Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Department at UCLA

Hyun Yi Kang, scholar and writer; chair of Women's Studies and Associate Professor in Comparative Literature and English at University of California, Irvine

Larry Kwak, a world-renowned physician and scientist who has pioneered breakthrough innovations in immunology and cancer vaccines; and named one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People in 2010.

Minsoo Kang, historian and writer at University of Missouri

Sung-Mo "Steve" Kang, chancellor of University of California, Merced; former professor of electrical and computer engineering at various institutions

Jaegwon Kim, William Herbert Perry Faunce Professor of Philosophy at Brown University

Jeong H. Kim, president of Bell Labs

Jim Yong Kim, Francois Xavier Bagnoud Professor Health and Human Rights at Harvard University; former director of HIV/AIDS at the World Health Organization; 17th president of Dartmouth College; president of the World Bank

Peter S. Kim, president of Merck, former MIT-Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research biochemist, member of National Academy of Sciences

Howard Koh, professor of the Practice of Public Health; associate dean for Public Health Practice at the Harvard School of Public Health; former Massachusetts Commissioner of Public Health

Benjamin W. Lee, theoretical physicist (influenced development of the Standard Model)

Chang-Rae Lee, professor of creative writing at Princeton University; novelist

Marina Lee, co-founder of an international program on empathy and global citizenship development in youth

David Oh, NASA engineer and lead flight director of the Mars Curiosity rover

Gary Pak, professor of English at University of Hawaii; one of the most important Asian Hawaiian writers

Andrew S. Park, Methodist theologian

Mark L. Polansky, NASA astronaut

Michelle Rhee, former chancellor of District of Columbia Public Schools; education reform advocate

Sebastian Seung, computational neuroscientist, brain and cognitive sciences professor at MIT, and author of Connectomes

Nam-Pyo Suh, doctor of engineering of Carnegie Mellon University, 14th president of KAIST in South Korea

Jeannie Suk, assistant professor of law at Harvard Law School; award-winning writer

Meredith Jung-En Woo, dean of the college and graduate school of arts and sciences at the University of Virginia, professor of political science and Korean studies

Ji-Yeon Yuh, professor in Asian American history and Asian diasporas at the Northwestern University

Joon Yun, radiologist; founder of Palo Alto Institute

Sports

Darwin Barney, MLB player; grandfather is from Korea and grandmother is from Japan

Eugene Chung, former NFL player, first Asian American to be drafted in the 1st round, played offensive line

Simon Cho, Olympic speed skater; won the bronze medal in men's 5000 meter relay at the 2010 Vancouver Games

Hank Conger, MLB player

Emily Cross, Olympic fencer; won the silver medal in foil team at the 2008 Beijing Games

Toby Dawson, Olympic skier, won the bronze medal in men's freestyle skiing at the 2006 Torino Games

Bill Demong, Olympic skier; mother is half Korean

Marcus Demps, American football player

Will Demps, American football player

Jake Dunning, MLB player

Tom Farden, head coach of the Utah Red Rocks

Benson Henderson, mixed martial artist, former UFC lightweight champion

John Huh, professional golfer

Vicky Hurst, professional golfer

Anthony Kim, professional golfer

Chloe Kim, elite snowboarder, Winter X Games gold medalist (superpipe, 2015)

Christina Kim, professional golfer

Kevin Kim, tennis player

Tae Man Kwon, Hapkido Grand Master; 9th degree Black Belt

Jeanette Lee, pool player, nicknamed "The Black Widow" for her tendency to wear black

John Lee, former football player

Sammy Lee, diver, first American-born Asian Olympic gold medalist

David Lipsky, professional golfer; mother is from Korea

Moon Tae-jong, professional basketball player

Kevin Na, professional golfer

Naomi Nari Nam, figure skater

Jim Paek, NHL hockey player

Angela Park, professional golfer

Jane Park, professional golfer

Richard Park, NHL player

BJ Penn, mixed martial artist and former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion

Jhoon Rhee, taekwondo master and entrepreneur

Terrmel Sledge, MLB player

Daewon Song, professional skateboarder

Sonya Thomas, aka "Black Widow," competitive eater, holder of 29 world titles

Hines Ward, football player, MVP of Super Bowl XL

Michelle Wie, professional golfer

Alex Yi, soccer player

Mia Yim also known as Jade, professional wrestler

James Yun, professional wrestler

Other

Philip Jaisohn, first Korean to become an American citizen; first Korean American to receive an American medical degree