[3] Choe was the first Korean American elected to the city council[4][5] and the first to serve in a public office in the United States.

[7] Choe served as the chair of the Transportation Committee and was also appointed as a Regional Transit Authority (RTA) boardmember during the early drafting of Seattle's future light rail and commuter train systems.

[9][10] Choe was among a contingent of Asian American leaders and politicians tasked with organizing the 1993 APEC summit, hosted near Seattle on Blake Island.

[11] Choe retired from the city council in 1998, having not run for re-election, but was named as a potential candidate in the 2001 mayoral election.

[16][17] Future Seattle mayor Ed Murray served on Choe's staff for four years early in his political career.