Happy Birthday Mayor Kang

I’ve had the great pleasure of getting to know that past three mayors of Irvine personally.  And knowing how strong willed each of them are, I always laugh when someone suggests they are not independent.  Voting alike doesn’t necessarily constitute puppet strings no matter how many times conservative operatives in Irvine suggest it.

So with that, please join me in wishing Irvine Mayor Sukhee Kang a happy birthday today.  Mayor Kang is not only a roick star in Irvine but he’s a rock star in South Korea too.

Mayor Sukhee Kang was elected to the Irvine City Council in 2004 and won re-election in 2006. In 2008, he was elected to the first Korean American Mayor in Irvine. Born and raised in South Korea, Sukhee and his wife Joanne came to the United States in 1977 after his graduation from Korea University in Seoul.

A successful businessman and the father of two adult children, Sukhee Kang has dedicated his life to his family, his work and service to the community. His efforts on behalf of the Korean American community, including his past service as Chairman of the Korean American Coalition Orange County and President of the Korean American Education Scholarship Foundation, provided an introduction to community leadership that would ultimately inspire Sukhee to run for the Irvine City Council.

Sukhee Kang’s own American success story has helped to shape his inclusive and engaging leadership style. Active throughout the Irvine community, Sukhee Kang has forged strong and supportive relationships with the business community, the education community and the many cultural, service and non-profit organizations that serve the citizens of Irvine. An advocate for the interests of all Irvine residents, Sukhee Kang has demonstrated his ability to “listen, learn and respond” by walking door-to-door in every neighborhood in Irvine, engaging in “doorstep dialogues” with Irvine residents, then working diligently to respond to their interests and concerns.

Prior to his service on the Irvine City Council, Sukhee Kang served as a Governor’s appointee on the California Workforce Investment Board and was the Mayor’s appointee to the Irvine Finance Commission. As a City Councilmember and Mayor Pro Tem, Sukhee has served as a member of the Orange County Great Park Board, Orange County Sanitation District Board, Transportation Corridor Agency Board, Executive Steering Committee of the League of California Cities Orange County Division, and Orange County Transportation Authority Measure M Super Committee. As a role model for community leadership, Sukhee was recently honored the Community Leadership Award by the Asian Pacific Islanders Heritage Council of Orange County.

(photo courtesy of Lou Delgado)

3 Comments

  1. Dan, as usual your article overwhelms me with your great fictional writing, detailing the character of the Agranista Gang. You had better be careful or someone may promote you to the big time and you become “Spin-master” for the big Democrat, Barack Obama. He could most definitely use some of your help these days.

    Sukhee Kang is probably a nice guy, who pulled himself up by his bootstraps to get where he is today. For that he is to be commended. The question is, when Sukhee looks in the mirror every morning which of the two guys does he see looking back at him? Is it the first, whose success had led to the position as Mayor of Irvine? Or could it be the second, hand picked by puppet-master, Larry Agran to become one of the elite Agranista Gang? I believe it is the latter of the two men. The question then becomes, will Sukhee ever develop a backbone and be his own man, or will he continue in Larry Agran’s shadow as a puppet on a string. Larry says jump, Sukhee, Beth and soon to be Shiva, all say in unison, “How high.” Now, I know what your retort will be to this comment, but I have been around Irvine a lot longer than you and have seen Agran use and abuse a number of good men including, Dave Christensen and Chris Mears. Dan you can keep putting lipstick on the pig until the cows come home, but in the end it is still a pig.

    On a lighter note, is that you doing the “secret handshake” with Sukhee in the photo? Since we have never formally met, I don’t know what you look like. Lastly, based on your commentary about Sukhee’s vast success, can you share with us, does he actually have a job and what it is he does and for whom? As the campaign moves along, I look forward to more of your great fiction writing.

    • Pat — you’d be completely wrong about Sukhee (or Beth) being a puppet to Larry. Anyonew who knows them knows this is a complete lie spread by hard core conservatives like you who, if they repeat it enough, becomes the truth.

      The person in the photo with Mayor Kang is Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido. But if you’re curious, my photo was taken with Larry Agran at the IPSF Gala and it’s in my post from Friday night. Surely you know what Larry looks like and now you’ll know what I look like.

      It takes a classy guy to denegrate the Mayor on his birthday. Don’t ever change

      • Dan, actually I was more complementary than usual when it came to Sukhee, giving credit on his success. Pointing out the fact that he is an Agran puppet is not denegrating, it is just the way politics operates in Irvine. When it comes to the Agranistas, you got your wish, I will never change until I move out of Irvine. One day when the FBI takes them out of City Hall in handcuffs, I will be standing in the shade applauding. How’s that for class? P.S. Where was it that you said Sukhee’s real job (the one that pays the rent) is, or is he retired like Larry?

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