I was born in an army hospital near Seoul, South Korea, to a Korean mother and a Caucasian father.  My grandmother never approved of my parents’ relationship because my mother was not white and English was her second language, and she cruelly forced my mother out of the house with only the clothes on her back. That day was the last time my brother and I saw our mother for 25 years. 

This experience shaped me. It underscored for me the importance of advocacy for those who are marginalized.  I know first-hand how easy it is to silence those who have been victimized when no one speaks up for them or their rights.   This experience also taught me about forgiveness – that my grandmother, who loved and instilled in me independence and a strong work ethic, is more than the sum of her worst mistakes. 

I went on to graduate from college and Seattle University School of Law and began my career in public service, first as a Rule 9 Legal Intern (1995), then as a civil litigation Deputy Prosecuting Attorney (1996-2000).  I later served as Prosecuting Attorney Norm Maleng’s Deputy Chief of Staff (2000-2007).

For 15 years before election as Prosecutor, I served as Chief of Staff of the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, where I helped lead reforms and initiatives that paved the way for my first term in office.

Some highlights of my career include:

• Securing funding for the PAO’s Crime Strategies “Shots Fired” Unit, which tracks shootings in King County;
• Creating and securing funding for a new Director of Victim Services position;
• Adding ten new victim advocate positions;
• Leading the PAO’s first review of all “Three Strikes” cases;
• Launching Family Intervention and Restorative Services “FIRS” (a juvenile domestic violence intervention)
• Building a diverse team of PAO leaders, deputy prosecutors, and staff

Committed to community engagement, I have been honored to serve on the Boards of the Alliance for Gun Responsibility, Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, and as an award-winning member of the Korean Prosecutors Association. I have also served on the Boards of Pioneer Human Services (a nonprofit focused on facilitating the successful reentry for individuals leaving prison and/or dealing with substance use or behavioral health issues) and the Beecher’s Foundation (a nonprofit dedicated to promoting food equity in all communities and operating a food education program for kids across the nation).

Through everything I do, I bring the perspective of my mother as an immigrant who was denied access to justice, my own experiences as an API kid growing up in Kentucky, and woman of color pushing for reforms in the criminal justice system as a prosecutor. 

I am motivated to serve and help shape a better future not only by my lived experience, but by seeing my own kids come of age amid gun violence, the opioid crisis, Federal overreach and hate, and urgent cries for racial justice. 

Through everything I do, I bring the perspective of my mother as an immigrant who was denied access to justice, my own experiences as an API kid growing up in Kentucky and woman of color pushing for reforms in the criminal justice system as a prosecutor, and now the experiences of my own kids coming of age amid gun violence, the opioid crisis, and urgent cries for racial justice. 

Beyond my professional life, I live in West Seattle with my two teenage children.