Young Kim could win California congressional race but not all Koreans are happy about it
- Although some South Koreans support Kim, others are troubled by her Republican affiliation when the party is accused of divisive politics and intolerance
- The last Korean American to serve in Congress was Jay Kim, who became the first Korean American to do so in 1992
A week ago, hardly anyone in South Korea had heard the name Young Kim. But with her tipped to become the first Korean-American woman voted into Congress, taking over Southern California’s 39th district from long-serving Congressman Ed Royce, she has been a recent fixture in South Korean media.
South Koreans and Korean Americans are divided on whether a victory for Kim, a Republican, would be a good thing. But they all agree it would be a sign of progress for Asian-American voices in US politics.
Born in 1962 as Kim Young-oK in Incheon, South Korea, Kim left the country in 1975 with her family, living in Guam before settling in Southern California. Kim studied business administration at the University of Southern California, where she was known as an outspoken and popular student. She began her political career working for Royce, spanning 21 years as community liaison and director of Asian affairs.
If her win is confirmed, Kim will from January serve as representative of California’s 39th district, encompassing Los Angeles, Orange County and San Bernardino, a region known for its large population of Korean and other Asian Americans.
Although some South Koreans support Kim, others are troubled she represents a party accused of divisive politics and intolerance towards immigrants. Until recently, Kim was all but unknown on the Korean peninsula outside political circles. Her profile is now expanding on Naver, the country’s top search portal, and in major conservative newspapers like the Chosun.
For the Republican Party to have a future, they need to include more people like Young Kim
“I think Koreans are always interested in things that raise our status in the world,” said Joseph Yi, a professor of political science at Hanyang University in Seoul and a graduate of UC Berkeley and University of Chicago.
