For Rev. Dr. Sook Hee Bae, supporting Korean women experiencing domestic violence has meant helping them navigate some of the most difficult moments of their lives, often as a court advocate for those scared to see their husbands in family court.
Bae began working with the Korean American Family Service Center (KAFSC), a Flushing-based organization that assists survivors of gender-based violence, during its early years and later helped lay the foundation for its 24-hour hotline. KAFSC honored Bae at its 37th annual benefit gala Oct. 2 at Cipriani Wall Street.
The hotline matters, Bae said, because many Korean women feel pressure to “save face” and keep their struggles private.“It’s the older Korean tradition,” she noted. “You don’t open your hardship.” Calling the center, she said, gives them a place to finally share what they’re going through.
This year’s theme, Chinjung, or “A Mother’s Home,” reflects that mission by creating a sense of refuge and belonging for survivors and their families. Executive Director Jeehae Fischer said the number of people KAFSC has been able to reach reflects that work – noting that the organization received more than 4,500 hotline calls and served over 3,000 individuals in 2025.
For some survivors, asking for help can also mean overcoming cultural expectations around keeping personal struggles private, which is why Fischer said KAFSC’s presence in the community is so important.
“One hundred percent of our staff members are bilingual and bicultural. And we’re serving the very community that we look like. And we also speak the same language,” she said. “So when our survivors come to our doors, they have this instant bonding moment and also the trust because we look like them and because we understand their gestures, because we understand the language.”
KAFSC also recognized Hannah Yang, chief growth and customer officer at The New York Times, with the Leadership in Action Award. Yang, who immigrated to the U.S. with her family, said learning more about the experiences of survivors helped put her own journey into perspective.
“Just comparing my life to the victims of domestic abuse that this organization has helped has been really humbling to me that in many ways, I’ve been very privileged and feel really lucky that I’m in a position of influence so that I can use it to help lift up others who’ve had struggles bigger than mine,” she said.
KAFSC’s work includes counseling and legal assistance as well housing emergency shelter support for survivors and their families. Fischer said the goal is to not only help people through an immediate crisis, but also ensure they achieve stability.
“The biggest accomplishment is the fact that our survivors are not just surviving,” Fischer said, “but that they’re thriving and that they have a hope for the future.”
The Korean American Family Service Center‘s 24-hour bilingual hotline is (718) 460-3800.
This article was produced in partnership with the Korean American Family Service Center.
