The Year of the Dragon is turning out to be pretty good so far. This week, King County Senior Deputy Prosecutor Steven Kim boarded a plan to Seoul. He has an impressive task ahead, too, helping South Korea’s judicial system adopt a jury system, much like that of the United States.
South Korea has been making broad changes to its judicial system for a few years now. In this new phase, Kim will help implement changes by teaching government officials and legal professionals the American system.
There are often misconceptions between the U.S. and countries in Asia, based on cultural differences, political beliefs, and economic jockeying. We believe that being able to engage in a cross-cultural exchange of expertise will help build bridges between countries.
This opportunity for Kim is a once-in-a-lifetime history-making event. We at the Northwest Asian Weekly are so glad that a Korean American from our area is one of the ones being tapped. According to The Seattle Times, the South Korean government wanted an American trial attorney that was fluent in Korean and had extensive experience arguing cases. Kim met the criteria.
And it is a big deal. Kim is part of a growing trend. The fact that Kim was picked as the best candidate to help South Korea continue modernizing means that the government views the United States as a model and Americans as having valuable input.
South Korea is not the only country grabbing American talent, as we all know. It’s meaningful that we, as Americans, have something special to offer globally.
U.S. university programs are in demand all over Asia, which makes sense. As Asian markets boom and as countries experience rapid economic growth within a short period, the local talent pool becomes overfished.
Growth has been so fast that the education system hasn’t has not been able to keep up.
According to an Economist survey, 600 chief executives of multinational companies, who have businesses in Asia, say that their biggest concern is the shortage of qualified staff members available in Asia.
This is why countries start looking for individuals like Kim.
And don’t worry. Kim is coming back in six months. Ultimately, this cross-cultural exchange means more job opportunities for Americans. Additionally, Americans will grow their talents in the new environment and possibly come back with innovative ideas.
And remember, what happened for Kim was no an accident. A lot of people must have noticed his talents recommended him. We urge you to recognize talent in your surroundings, and do your best to promote that talent. (end)