USC Appoints Beong-Soo Kim President After Service

Appointed interim president in June 2025,  former General Counsel Beong-Soo Kim was appointed to the post permanently this month. The Trustees conducted a competitive search before elevating Kim, noting that,  “Kim's career spans multiple sectors, including higher education, health care, legal practice and public service. Before becoming general counsel at USC, he served in senior roles at Kaiser Permanente, worked as a partner in an international law firm and served as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California.”

Much attention has been focused lately on whether at this point in time in higher education, lawyers are particularly well-suited to the role as campus President.  The announcement suggests this might be the case at USC as one commentator noted, “The appointment comes after USC navigated a turbulent period that included the departure of former President Carol Folt and challenges related to campus protests and administrative controversies.”