Storyteller
News4 Today anchor Eun Yang, photographed at Hotel Hive.
Korean American journalist Eun Yang returned to her birthland in February to cover the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. It was her first-ever Olympic assignment and only the second time she’d been back to Korea since coming to the United States at the age of three. “I was extremely proud of the country,” she says. “They pulled it off without a hitch,” she continues, praising not only South Korea’s ability to host the largest sporting event in the world, but the Korean people for their hospitality. “They were so warm and friendly and willing to help anyone from any country because they wanted us to have a great experience.”
“It was the most challenging and grueling work I’ve ever done, yet at the same time the most rewarding and fulfilling,” says the charismatic anchor of “News4 Today,” Washington’s most highly rated morning show. Her role was to highlight the lives and experiences of the athletes, a task she did not take lightly. “These Olympians give up everything, their parents give up everything for this one moment in time.” She was especially moved by the story of Maame Biney, the 17- year-old from Reston, Va. who became the first African American woman in history to make the U.S. Olympic speedskating team. “Her dad brought her from Ghana when she was five and sacrificed his home, his finances and his friends because he wanted to give his daughter a better life and the opportunity to be on the world stage.”
That passion translates into where Yang volunteers her time – youth-related charities like the Posse Foundation, which helps high school students with good grades from underserved neighborhoods attend college on scholarship. She’s also hosted THEARC’s Wacky and Whimsical Tea for seven years running. THEARC brings art, recreation and health and social services to communities east of the Anacostia River. “Both organizations are similar in that they’re committed to our children and are working to build future leaders who represent the great diversity that makes this country what it is.”
Eun’s Style: Yang describes her style as “urban chic.” She’s fond of “classic, minimalist looks with a little flair,” which allow her to showcase her personality while maintaining a professional appearance. She says she gravitates towards clothes that not only look good, but also make her feel good. “When you’re feeling strong inside – and I know that’s so cliché – but when you do feel strong and pretty, I think that shows through on the outside.”
This story appears in the April 2018 issue of Washington Life Magazine.
