Young Kim Bio
Young Oak Kim (born October 18, 1962) is a South Korean–born American politician and businesswoman serving as the U.S. representative for California’s 40th congressional district. A member of the Republican Party, she previously represented the 39th congressional district from 2021 to 2023. Her district covers northern portions of Orange County. In the 2020 elections, Kim became one of the first Korean-American women elected to the U.S. Congress, alongside Michelle Steel and Marilyn Strickland.
Before her time in Washington, Kim served in the California State Assembly for the 65th district from 2014 to 2016, becoming the first South Korean-born Republican woman elected to the California State Legislature. She is also a former financial analyst and small business owner, and she spent more than two decades as a community liaison for U.S. Representative Ed Royce.
Early Life and Background
Young Oak Kim was born in 1962 in Incheon, South Korea, and spent her early childhood in Seoul. She and her family left South Korea in 1975, first settling in Guam, where she finished junior high school. The family later moved to Hawaii, where she attended high school and completed her secondary education.
After high school, Kim went on to attend the University of Southern California, where she earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. Her time in the United States, beginning with the move from Korea, shaped her perspective on immigration and community service, themes that would later define her political career.
Path to US Politics
After graduating from USC, Kim worked as a financial analyst for First Interstate Bank and later served as a controller for JK Sportswear Manufacturing. She also launched her own clothing business, gaining firsthand experience with entrepreneurship and the challenges facing small businesses in Southern California.
Kim’s entry into public service began through her husband, who met California State Senator Ed Royce while promoting the Korean American Coalition, a nonprofit organization. Kim joined Royce’s staff and, after he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, served for 21 years as his community liaison and director of Asian affairs. During much of that time, she also hosted “LA Seoul with Young Kim,” a television show, and “Radio Seoul,” a radio program that discussed political issues affecting Korean Americans.
Young Kim Career
Early Career (2014–2016)
Kim’s political career began in 2014 when she ran for the California State Assembly’s 65th district. She defeated the incumbent Democratic assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva, becoming the first South Korean-born Republican woman elected to the California State Legislature. Her victory marked a significant milestone for Republican women and for Korean-American representation in state government.
In 2016, Kim sought reelection but lost the seat in a rematch with Quirk-Silva. Her brief tenure in the state legislature focused on issues such as opposition to changes to Proposition 13 and concerns about a California law regarding transgender students’ access to school facilities and sports. Her platform reflected her fiscal conservative principles and her interest in representing Orange County communities.
U.S. House of Representatives Breakthrough (2018–2020)
Following her time in the state Assembly, Kim briefly explored a run for the Orange County Board of Supervisors in 2017. However, after U.S. Representative Ed Royce announced his retirement in January 2018, Kim quickly shifted her focus to the race to succeed him in California’s 39th congressional district. Royce endorsed her the day after his announcement.
Kim received the most votes in the crowded 2018 primary, advancing to the general election against Democrat Gil Cisneros. Although she held an early lead on election night, the final vote count favored Cisneros, who won with 51.6 percent of the vote to Kim’s 48.4 percent. Kim conceded on November 18, 2018, after briefly raising unproven allegations of voter fraud.
In April 2019, Kim announced a rematch against Cisneros for the 39th district. Top Republican officials, including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, rallied behind her campaign. In the March 2020 jungle primary, Kim took 48.3 percent of the vote to Cisneros’s 46.9 percent, setting up a high-profile rematch.
Kim outraised Cisneros $6.16 million to $4.36 million and ultimately won the general election on November 13, 2020, after mail-in ballots were counted. Her victory made her one of the first Korean-American women elected to Congress, and she was among the first three Republican candidates to unseat an incumbent House Democrat in California since 1994.
California’s 40th Congressional District Era (2022–Present)
Following redistricting, Kim announced in December 2021 that she would seek reelection in California’s newly drawn 40th congressional district. She was sworn in to the 117th United States Congress on January 3, 2021, and has continued to represent Orange County communities in her new district configuration.
In 2024, Kim successfully ran for reelection in the 40th district, defeating Democrat Joe Kerr by approximately ten points. She continued to draw support from the California Republican Party and other regional Republican leaders throughout her campaign. Her tenure has been marked by a relatively centrist voting record among House Republicans, including occasional breaks with her party on key issues.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Kim’s most notable moments in Congress was her vote on January 6, 2021, to certify Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory, declining to support efforts to contest the results. On February 4, 2021, she joined ten other Republican House members and all voting Democrats in stripping Marjorie Taylor Greene of her committee assignments. In 2021, Kim was honored with Carnegie Corporation of New York’s Great Immigrants Award, recognizing her contributions to American civic life.
Young Kim Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Young Oak Kim was born in Incheon, South Korea, and immigrated to the United States with her family in 1975. Her path from South Korea through Guam and Hawaii to California shaped her commitment to immigrant communities and bilingual outreach throughout her career.
Personal Life
Kim is married to Charles Kim, a nonprofit administrator and philanthropist. The couple has four children and has lived in La Habra, Fullerton, and Anaheim Hills, California. Kim is a Protestant. She continues to reside in Anaheim Hills with her family.