The Korean American Coalition was founded in Los Angeles in 1983 to promote the civic and civil rights interests of the Korean American community. KAC endeavors to achieve these goals through education, community organizing, leadership development, and coalition-building with diverse communities.

A community organizer, advocate, activist, and expert on Korean American history and community affairs, Charles J. Kim was the Chairman of the Korean Institute of Southern California, a non-profit education organization. One of three founders of the Korean American Coalition, Kim helped to build it as a national organization and served as its National President/Executive Director (1985-1987, 1995-2007). He organized and orchestrated many community programs to help 1992 LA Riot victims, including the Korean Community Peace March (4/31/1992 and 4/29/02). Kim introduced and conceptualized "1.5 Generation" referring to the American educated, bilingual and bicultural young Korean Americans, which became an accepted sociological term. Kim built the first HUD sponsored Arirang senior citizens apartments in Hollywood, organized the Korean American Historical Society to preserve Korean immigrant history and heritage, and built bridges among Korean American pioneers, adoptees and their families, and college groups. Kim currently endeavors to establish "ultimate Leadership Institute" to cultivate trainers for human services and community leaders. Kim's wife, Young Oak, is a congressional staff and an Asian affairs expert. Young is also the host of "LA Seoul," a weekly talk show on LA18-TV.