By Bryan Manabat
[email protected]
Variety News Staff
MARIANAS Visitors Authority Board Chairman Warren Villagomez on Wednesday officially swore in Kwang Joo Kim, vice president of S.A.I. Leisure Group, as the newest member of the MVA board of directors.
Kim took the oath during the board’s May 27 meeting and thanked MVA leadership for the opportunity to serve.
“Thank you for the opportunity … for this important job to work for the CNMI,” Kim said after being sworn in.
His appointment comes as the Commonwealth Ports Authority announced that night operations at Francisco C. Ada/Saipan International Airport will resume on June 20, and airlines have begun announcing plans to restart international flights to Saipan.
During Wednesday’s meeting, the MVA board also approved several measures aimed at rebuilding tourism and strengthening the destination. These include upcoming participation in Brand USA sales missions in Japan and Korea, as well as renewed exposure at the JATA Tourism Expo 2026 in Tokyo this September.
Board members also discussed the potential relocation of the MVA office to the historic Japanese Lighthouse property on Navy Hill, a move intended to reduce operational costs while creating new opportunities at the site.
Bryan Manabat was a liberal arts student of Northern Marianas College where he also studied criminal justice. He is the recipient of the NMI Humanities Award as an Outstanding Teacher (Non-Classroom) in 2013, and has worked for the CNMI Motheread/Fatheread Literacy Program as lead facilitator.
