Meet Yong

Yong Choi is an immigrant, small business owner, Buena Park Planning Commissioner,

published martial arts master, local volunteer, and housing champion running for city council to

improve neighborhoods, bring diverse communities together, and make our great city better and

more affordable for residents and families of all ages and backgrounds.

Immigrating to the United States from South Korea in 1975 in search of a better life, Yong Choi

originally made ends meet by cleaning restrooms, cutting grass, and picking up trash at parks

and later worked his way through college while teaching martial arts in the evening. He also

worked at a saw mill and in manufacturing at Caterpiller, where he continued to develop his love

for building and working with his hands. After getting married and starting a family, Yong then

moved his young family to California hoping to give his children access to a great education and

better economic prospects.

Yong currently owns a small construction and handyman business where he does commercial

work, remodeling, and Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) and home building, helping families

achieve their dreams of home ownership. As a Buena Park Planning Commissioner, Yong has

been a strong advocate for public engagement, transparency, and bringing communities

together while championing housing and new small businesses, he’s most proud of the work

he’s done to help make housing more affordable for Buena Park families and new residents.

A lifelong martial arts master and published author, Yong still teaches championship Tae-Kwon

Do and kickboxing, hoping to help foster confidence in youth and more community and cultural

outreach. Yong and his wife of 31 years have two children, they enjoy charity and volunteer

work through their church where they’ve worked to feed the unhoused and do outreach to those

in need.