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Beong-Soo Kim
Interim President of the University of Southern California From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Beong-Soo Kim is an American attorney and academic administrator currently serving as the interim president of the University of Southern California (USC). Kim's service as interim president began on July 1, 2025.[2] He previously served as senior vice president and general counsel of USC from July 2020 through June 2025.[1]
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Early life and education
Kim was born in Harbor City, California and raised in Woodland Hills.[1] His parents, who immigrated from Korea, both attended graduate school at USC.[1] While attending Calabasas High School, Kim studied the cello with Eleanore Schoenfeld, a professor at the USC Thornton School of Music.[1]
Kim attended Harvard College, where he wrote for The Harvard Crimson,[3] led the Harvard CIVICS program,[4] and played in the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra. He graduated magna cum laude and as a member of Phi Beta Kappa.[5] He subsequently earned a Master of Science degree from the London School of Economics as a Rotary Scholar and worked as a New York City Urban Fellow. He then attended Harvard Law School, where he graduated with honors in 1999.[1]
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Career
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Legal career
Kim began his legal career as a law clerk to Judge Robert D. Sack of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.[6] Following his clerkship, Kim taught constitutional interpretation as a teaching fellow at Harvard University and worked as an associate at Munger, Tolles & Olson, LLP.[1][6]
Kim then spent nine years as a federal prosecutor at the United States Attorney's Office for the Central District of California.[1] While working at the U.S. Attorney's Office, Kim taught as an adjunct professor at USC's Gould School of Law.[7] During his time as a prosecutor, Kim handled cases involving fraud and eventually became chief of the Major Frauds section.[1][8] Kim returned to the U.S. Attorney's Office in 2022 to deliver a talk on Asian-American legacy-building.[9]
Following his federal service, Kim worked as a partner at Jones Day before moving to Kaiser Permanente, where he spent nearly six years as vice president.[1][7]
University of Southern California General Counsel
In July 2020, Kim was appointed as senior vice president and general counsel of USC.[2] In his role as general counsel, Kim led several major strategic initiatives and advised the senior leadership team and Board of Trustees on significant matters impacting the University, Keck Medicine, and athletics.[10][2]
Interim President
On February 5, 2025, USC announced that Kim would serve as interim president beginning July 1, 2025, following Carol Folt's announced retirement.[11][12] The appointment was announced by USC Board of Trustees Chair Suzanne Nora Johnson and Vice Chair David C. Bohnett, who praised Kim's "impeccable character, strong and collaborative leadership and a broad understanding of our academic research and medical enterprises, as well as our athletics programs."[2][12]
Kim's appointment as interim president makes him notable as USC's first Asian-American president.[13]
The appointment comes after Folt announced in November 2024 that she would retire at the end of her six-year tenure in June 2025.[12][11] USC has established a Presidential Search Committee, led by Trustees Carmen Nava and Mark Stevens, to conduct the search for the school's next permanent president.[2][11]
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Personal life
Kim is married to Bonnie Wongtrakool, with whom he performed impromptu concerts from his porch during the COVID-19 pandemic.[14][15]
References
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