Candidate Q & A

--- The following questions are inspired by and adapted from a fantastic website, Ballotpedia --- <<< Tell us about yourself. >>> Greetings Sirs/Ma’ams, I was born in Ithaca NY in 1978, grew up in Seoul Korea till 1997. I studied computer science in University of Wisconsin-Madison and studied computational biology in Cornell University for two years. I withdrew from Cornell’s PhD program and moved to LA, California in 2006 to become an actor. I computer-programmed for living and acted in spare time, and made a movie, “Therapy for Metrophobia” (available in YouTube). I joined US Army as an helicopter electronics, E4/Specialist, in 2009. We deployed to Afghanistan between 2011-2012. I got GI-Bill and went to Michigan Law School in 2013. While in Michigan, I watched Alaskan TV shows and documentaries and was captivated by Alaska’s culture, nature, and history. I graduated law school and moved to Alaska in 2015 without acquaintances or jobs. I was unemployed for three months and got a programmer job. I studied Alaska Bar Exam in spare time and passed it in 2018 and got a lawyer job. I started attending political meetings in 2018, to protest Wasilla City’s ban on plastic bags, as I loved plastic bags. Since then, Alaskan politics fascinated me. Ladies and Gentlemen, I need Alaska more than Alaska needs me. Thank you! <<< Why are you running? >>> Alaska has few problems, as Alaska is doing better than other states. But we can create jobs for Alaskan children by developing mining and farming. Let us mine metals, minerals, oil and gas; let us farm bears, moose, lobsters, razor clams, in environmentally sound fashion! As a senator, I will remove laws that prohibit farming of wild Alaskan animals. Unlike old days, we technological advancements that will enable us to farm animals once impossible to farm. As a senator, I will remove laws that prohibit farming of wild Alaskan animals. Unlike old days, we technological advancements that will enable us to farm animals once impossible to farm. We can farm edible seaweeds, clams, cronks, king crabs, lobsters, oysters and export them to Americas, Russia, Asia, and Europe. We can explore possibility of developing nuclear icebreakers (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear-powered_icebreaker), to open up the northern Arctic trade/tourist route, in order to take advantage of global warming. We will build harbors and hotels in arctic Alaska to accommodate international maritime travelers. We can farm black/white/brown bears in big Alaskan lands with fences in Safari style. Bear farms will serve as drive-through safaris and feeding zoos where patrons bring food to feed bears themselves, safely. We can take bear cubs to rent them out as pets and take them back after they grow big, so that they continue to produce baby bears in bear farms. After bears pass reproductive ages, we will harvest them to sell furs, meat, bones, and organs. We can farm all Alaskan berries, which are known to have higher levels of vitamins and minerals than berries elsewhere. Salmon berries and Red Currants, if farmed, will have international appeal, as their texture and taste are beyond imagination. We will emphasize education in our children and show them how fun it is to learn mathematics, science, philosophy, music, sports, fine arts, history, and foreign languages. We will lead Alaskan children by example by practicing healthy diet and regular exercise. <<< What is you campaign slogan? >>> Alaska is Great Now, so Let's Make Alaska Even Greater! <<< What is your political philosophy? >>> I was born in America in 1978 and grew up in S. Korea till 1997 when I graduated high school in Seoul. I moved to Madison Wisconsin to study computer science, but my English was too poor to attend university classes. So, I took some semesters off and worked full time, as a bagger and a parking lot shopping cart collector in a supermarket in 1997-1998. In my spare time, I studied English on my own by memorizing the lyrics of Beatles, Beach Boys, Bee Gees, Beautiful South, etc. I watched movies and TVs with close captioned subtitle on. After a year or so, I was able to return to school and take classes. I think I was about 8 years old in Seoul, Korea. I was walking back home from school and college students in their late teens or early twenties were protesting on the streets, against the South Korean government that they thought to be corrupt. Police officers deployed tear gas and the young collegiate protesters were throwing things at police officers. It was chaotic. I like philosopher kings and scientific kings who are well read, knowledgeable, and can think independently. King Solomon of Israel, Sejong the Great of Korea, and Presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Madison are some of such wise, smart, and strong kings. I think the most ideal political leader is one who is conversant in history, knowledgeable in science, and who can teach good knowledge to the public, and who is humble enough to learn from the people as well. An ideal political leader is someone who can solve real world problems in a creative way. Working 80 hours a week leaves a person no room to think creatively. To solve challenging problem, we need to sit back, think about it, and come up with a bold, brand-new solution. Today’s American politics is mostly about money and elected officials working overtime. And we don’t see those officials solving real world problems well. It’s because they don’t know how to be creative. When I was in US Army, I learned from my Sergeants that we ought to work smarter, not harder. It’s quality, not quantity, of work that matters and that solve problems. As a former computer programmer, I was trained to solve problems. I believe God created problems so we solve them. <<< What do you think about US Senate as a job? >>> US senatorial job would be an interesting one. If elected, I’d mostly work to enhance Alaska and solve problems in Alaska. For instance, we need to repeal or amend all the federal and state laws that prohibit farming of wild animals and plants in Alaska. We will also should work with national and state advocacy groups for environmental conservation and animal rights, so that Alaska’s new farming practices are environmentally sound and humane. As a senator, I will bring ideologically diverse people together so that we will reach a perfect solution. I will work with both conservatives and liberalists so that our solution would satisfy every single one in the room. We can achieve this goal only when we respect people who disagree with us, and at the very least try to understand where they come from, and what’s the rationale behind their objection to our ideas. After we hear their conscientious objections, we can modify our solutions to accommodate their concerns and such process is actually a very constructive and healthy one. That’d be my approach. <<< What do you know and think about filibuster? >>> The way I understand is, filibuster is a device that some senators use in order to block a legislation by speaking for a very long time on the senate floor. I understand and respect the passions of some legislators, but personally, I would not spend too much time with making laws. Don’t you think we have enough laws already? I think it probably is more helpful to eliminate regulatory laws than make new and new, more and more laws. Legislation is not the best solution to every problem out there. Mostly, I will work with diverse sectors in society and connect the dots to solve problems. To make a project work, for instance Pebble Mine Resurrection Project, I’d talk to investors, private companies, state/federal officials and legislators, fishermen, and local residents in the Bristol Bay. I’d listen to them, ask them questions, and study the issue, discuss and brainstorm to find the best way to let the Pebble company start building the mine there. Governmental officials, all they need to do is say yes, and give it the stamp of approval. Then the mining professionals and investors will do the rest of work, create jobs, and start making money for Alaska. <<< If elected, what’ll be your approach in senatorial confirmation of presidential appointees? >>> I would be resume-blind. That is, when it comes to confirming presidential appointees, I will not look at what schools they went to, what previous jobs that they had. I will neither vote for nor against an appointee, only because she went to or not went to a top school in the nation, only because he used to work or not work for a top governmental agency or a huge corporation with illustrious positions. The only thing I will look at is the appointee’s character. I’d look to answer the following questions: is this person honest; does this person care more about the people or about one’s own political ambition; does this person have good judgment and common sense; does this person have enough knowledge and if not can this person learn fast, etc. <<< What do you think is the biggest problem in America? >>> I think America is too divided. What America needs now is maturity, as too many adult Americans are acting like children on a playground, throwing snow balls at each other. If Americans learn to work together, overcoming individual differences, Americans can solve any problems there may be. <<< What’s your criteria for judicial nominees? >>> Again, I would not pay attention to the judicial nominee’s resume. I would not care what school s/he went to, what jobs s/he had previously. All I’d require is that s/he has passed a state’s bar exam and is a lawyer. After that, I’d see if the person has a good character, morality, ethics, and intelligence. <<< How would you characterize an ideal politician? >>> I think that the foremost quality of an elected official is morality, including honesty. Some candidates tend to hide their reasons why they’re running for an office. Me? I’m running for Senate because I want to be famous and I want to be the president of the US one day. Why? Because I want to lead the effort to better the world and I think I can do the job better than anyone can. Also, I think it’ll be fun to work as a senator in order to experiment with some business ideas, like farming lobsters and bears and berries in Alaska. Are those the only reason I’m running? Well, I do care about children of Alaska and of the world. I want to do my part in making this world perhaps just a little bit better. Actually, I’m more ambitious than that. Yes, I want to see this world be absolutely saved. I want to see zero crimes, zero hunger, zero homelessness. Do I believe that it is possible to achieve such high goals in our lifetimes? Yes, I do. That’s why I’m running. <<< If elected, how would your daily routine look like? >>> I like learning from books and from people. I also like education people as well. I believe in creativity and creativity can only comes from leisure. As a senator, I will work only 40 hours a week. I will need spare time to relax and think things through on my own as always. I will live frugally, as always. Not much will change in my life. This way, I will represent 99% of the common people in Alaska, because I am and will still be one of them. <<< If there is one book to recommend to others, what would it be? >>> Bible. I don’t think it’s a perfect book and I do not agree with every lesson in it: I even disagree with some of the things that Jesus said. But overall, I think Bible contains a treasure load of good teachings. Beside Judeo-Christianity, I respect and study all other religions as well, like Islam, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Confucianism, Taoism, Hinduism, Jainism, etc. <<<< Do you know of a joke that you think would entertain the voters? >>> Well, this is a tough one. I expect I’ll lose a lot of voters after this. One day, my all-American friends, who were born and raised in America, asked me, as they know I grew up in S. Korea till I was 18. They asked me, “Hey dude, you’ve eaten dogs in Korea?” “Ahh… yes.” “How many?” “Ahh… three.” “How do they taste?” “Ahh… they taste like… your best friends.” //x-D <<< Oh…kay. A final question. Do you have any fictional characters in novels that you’d like to mention? >>> I’d be a Sherlock Holmes when I solve problems, and play an Arsene Lupin when I entertain the crowd. Thank you, everyone //:-D