Young Kim

Kim was born in Incheon, South Korea, and spent her childhood in Seoul. She and her family left South Korea in 1975, living first on Guam, where she finished junior high school.[3]

She began studies at the University of Southern California in 1981, and earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from that institution.[4]

After graduating from USC, Kim worked as a financial analyst for First Interstate Bank and then as a controller for JK Sportswear Manufacturing.[2] Kim also started her own business in the ladieswear field.[3]

Kim's husband met Ed Royce, then a state senator, while promoting a nonprofit, the Korean American Coalition.[2] Royce later hired Kim to work for him. When Royce was elected to the U.S. House, she continued to work for him, putting in a total of 21 years as the congressman's community liaison and director of Asian affairs.[3] During much of that time she also appeared regularly on her own television show, “LA Seoul with Young Kim,” and her own radio show, “Radio Seoul,” on which she discussed political issues affecting Korean Americans.[2]

Kim's platform in 2016 included opposing changes to Proposition 13, which limits property taxes.[14] Her 2018 congressional platform included opposition to the Affordable Care Act, support for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients, support for "the anti-sanctuary city stance taken by the County Board of Supervisors"[15] and support for chain migration.[16][17][18]

In 2018, NBC News reported that the issues important to Kim included "creating jobs and keeping taxes low", "beef[ing] up education funding in science, technology, engineering and math", and reforming the immigration system to "ensure those brought to the U.S. 'as children without legal documentation are treated fairly and with compassion.'"[3] She supports student loan forgiveness if the borrower is on the verge of bankruptcy.[16]

Kim opposed a California law "requiring schools to allow transgender students to use bathrooms of their choice and participate in sports by their gender identity rather than their anatomical gender." She opposed the law over concerns that new school facilities could need to be constructed, additional spending could be required, students could change their identity "on a whim", and that male-to-female transgender students would have an unfair advantage in sports. She has said transgender individuals "deserve to be respected" but that she does not believe that LGBT individuals were born with their identities or orientations. Kim also opposes same-sex marriage.[19]

Kim favors reduced regulations and increased trade.[17] She is a fiscal conservative.[20]

Kim and her husband, Charles Kim, have been married since 1986. They have four children. Their oldest, Christine, graduated from UC Irvine; the others, Hannah, Alvin, and Kelly, graduated from Cal State Fullerton.[21]

Charles Kim has served as president of Inter-Community Action Network, a non-profit based in La Habra, California that promotes positive relations between local government and the Korean community. He was also a founder of the Korean American Coalition and the Black-Korean Alliance.[22]

• History of Korean Americans in Los Angeles

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Young Kim (politician).

• Official website