Korean American Journalists Association
The Korean American Journalists Association, or KAJA, is was originally founded in 1987 but soon fell dormant. A new incarnation of KAJA was started in 2005.
Origin
KAJA was founded in 1987 by activist and investigative reporter K.W. Lee. At its peak, KAJA had roughly 70 members, but most were inactive in the organization. Thus as its founders aged and became less involved, the group fell dormant.
Rebirth
However, in 2005, four Korean women, Jinah Kim, Eleanor Hong, HyunJu Chappell Hine, and Carolyn Ayon Lee, sought to resurrect KAJA in order to accurately portray Korea and Korean America in mainstream United States media. The were sparked by the legacy of the 1992 Los Angeles riots and President George W. Bush’s categorization of North Korea as part of an "axis of evil."
The inaugural national convention, attended by local journalists, Korean American community members, and activists, was held on October 29, 2005 at the Korean Cultural Center in Los Angeles and featured a panel discussion called "North Korea Media Coverage and Current Issues." There were also showings of two documentaries pertaining to North Korea, including Nuclear Nightmare: Understanding North Korea and Seoul Train.