A Special Lecture at Global Forum by Danny K. Chun Danny K. Chun is sui generis in the U.S. legal history. He was the first Korean-American serving as a prosecutor at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office from 1987 to 1999. During these years, he handled many major crimes especially in Asian organized crime activity. In 1999, he was appointed as New York City Criminal Court Judge by Mayor Giuliani, the Korean American to be honored with in that duty. This summer he is teaching two American law classes to Yonsei students. He started his speech with his own life story on 9 July at New Millennium Hall in the “Global Forum” lecture series hosted by Underwood International College. He wittily unfolded what kind of childhood he had and how he went to the law school. "I was quite a rebellious kid. I tried to be cool mimicking John Travolta," he laughingly said. When he was admitted to Johns Hopkins University, he was a pre-med major. But he dropped his major and switched to a different one. He decided to go to law school at the end of his college years and was accepted by Fordham University School of Law. When he got a job as a prosecutor, there were few Asians in the court. When he went to the office for the first time, he was misrecognized as a Chinese interpreter. "I became more shy and reserved in the U.S. due to language difficulty. I couldn’t compete with native ones because I came to the States at 11," he said. Since he needed to persuade the jury as an attorney, he practiced his argument skills in front of the mirror every day. He did his best to show his sincere efforts and finally won their hearts. He was sure that more Koreans will play key roles in the American legal system. "The Obama administration is highly likely to appoint Koreans as federal judges all over the states. Being Korean has cultural advantages for sure," he emphasized. On the other hand, he did not forget to mention harsh competitiveness in the current legal market. "It becomes challenging to be admitted to the law school. Moreover, if you do not get good grades, it will be even harder to be employed." He continued, "You need to have a strong fire and passion inside, which will help you out to survive and excel yourself in this competition." By underlining "passion," he concluded his speech and also said he is willing to provide any help for students who seek advice.