Kim Kyoung-soo (born 1 December 1967) is a South Korean

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

who served as a member of the

National Assembly of South Korea The National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, often shortened to the National Assembly in domestic English-language media, is the unicameral national legislature of South Korea. Elections to the National Assembly are held every four years. T ...

from 2016 to 2018, and as

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

of South Gyeongsang Province from 2018 to 2021, until he was convicted and arrested for opinion rigging.

Early life

Born in Goseong of Gyeongsang Province, Kim spent his adolescence in

Jinju Jinju () is a city in South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. It was the location of the first (1592) and second (1593) Sieges of Jinju by Japanese forces during the Imjin War. The Republic of Korea Air Force Education and Training Command is ...

. He enrolled in

Seoul National University Seoul National University (SNU; ) is a national public research university located in Seoul, South Korea. Founded in 1946, Seoul National University is largely considered the most prestigious university in South Korea; it is one of the three "S ...

in the department of anthropology. Under the Roh Tae-woo government, Kim was sentenced to two years in prison for participating in the democracy movement, but was later released.

Political career

Kim started his political career aiding lawmaker Shin Kye-ryun in 1994. In 2002, he joined the election camp of then-presidential candidate Roh Moo-hyun. After the president's suicide, Kim became the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

district chairman of

Gimhae Gimhae () is a city in South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. It is the seat of the large Gimhae Kim clan, one of the largest Kim clans in Korea. The Gimhae Kims claim descent from the ancient royal house of Geumgwan Gaya, which was based in Gim ...

. He was elected district lawmaker in

2016 South Korean legislative election Legislative elections were held in South Korea on 13 April 2016. All 300 members of the National Assembly were elected, 253 from first-past-the-post constituencies and 47 from proportional party lists. The election was an upset victory for the ...

. He married a junior who studied at Seoul National University together. Kim is considered to be part of the pro-

Roh Roh or ROH may refer to: * ''Roh'' (film), a 2020 Malaysian horror film * Roh (name), a Korean surname * Roh, Maré, New Caledonia * Revoluční odborové hnutí, labour union in Czechoslovakia 1945–1990 * Ring of Honor, American professional ...

group, along with the former president Moon Jae-in and former South Chungcheong governor

Ahn Hee-jung Ahn Hee-jung (born 1 May 1965), also known as An Hee-jung, is a former South Korean politician. He served as the 36th and 37th Governor of South Chungcheong Province. He stepped down from his role as governor and announced his retirement from ...

. In 2018, Kim was

candidate for Governor of South Gyeongsang Province in the

2018 South Korean local elections The 7th local elections were held in South Korea on 13 June 2018. The election coincided with the by-elections for the vacant seats in the National Assembly. The election was a landslide victory for the Democratic Party of Korea, the ruling par ...

. Kim narrowly won the election against conservative foe Kim Tae-Ho of the

Liberty Korea Party The Liberty Korea Party () was a conservative political party in South Korea that was described variously as right-wing, right-wing populist, or far-right. Until February 2017, it was known as the Saenuri Party (), and before that as the Hanna ...

. Despite his victory, Kim was suspected to have been heavily involved in the opinion rigging scandal. In 2019, Kim was jailed for two years on charges of online-rigging operations of both the first and second order. In 21 July 2021, he was sentenced to two years by the supreme court for computer business obstruction, and eventually lost his position as governor.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kim, Kyoung-soo Governors of South Gyeongsang Province 1967 births Living people Members of the National Assembly (South Korea) Minjoo Party of Korea politicians Seoul National University alumni People from South Gyeongsang Province Kyoung-soo South Korean politicians convicted of crimes