Kim Kyoung-soo
South Korean politician (born 1967)
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Kim Kyoung-soo (Korean: 김경수; born 1 December 1967) is a South Korean politician who served as a member of the National Assembly of South Korea from 2016 to 2018, and as Governor of South Gyeongsang Province from 2018 to 2021, until he was convicted and arrested for opinion rigging.[1][2][3]
Kim Kyoung-soo | |
|---|---|
김경수 | |
 | |
| Governor of South Gyeongsang Province | |
| In office 1 July 2018 – 21 July 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Hong Joon-pyo |
| Succeeded by | Park Wan-su |
| Member of the National Assembly | |
| In office 30 May 2016 – 14 May 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Kim Tae-ho |
| Succeeded by | Kim Jung-ho |
| Constituency | Gimhae B |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1 December 1967 |
| Party | Democratic |
| Seoul National University | |
Religion | Roman Catholic (Christian name : Paul) |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 김경수 |
| Hanja | 金慶洙 |
| RR | Gim Gyeongsu |
| MR | Kim Kyŏngsu |
Early life
Born in Goseong of Gyeongsang Province, Kim spent his adolescence in Jinju. He enrolled in Seoul National University 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 district chairman of Gimhae. He was elected district lawmaker in 2016 South Korean legislative election. He married a junior who studied at Seoul National University together.[4] Kim is considered to be part of the pro-Roh group, along with the former president Moon Jae-in and former South Chungcheong Province governor Ahn Hee-jung.[5]
In 2018, Kim was Democratic Party candidate for Governor of South Gyeongsang Province in the 2018 South Korean local elections. Kim narrowly won the election against conservative foe Kim Tae-Ho of the Liberty Korea Party. Despite his victory, Kim was suspected to have been heavily involved in the opinion rigging scandal.[6]
In 2019, Kim was jailed for two years on charges of online-rigging operations of both the first and second order.[7] On 21 July 2021, he was sentenced to two years by the supreme court for computer business obstruction, and eventually lost his position as governor.[2][3]
In April 2025, Kim announced his candidacy for the 2025 South Korean presidential election.[8] He ultimately finished third in the primary, placing behind Kim Dong-yeon and Lee Jae-myung. Later that day, Kim stated on Facebook: "I will run like it's my election for the victory of candidate Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party's success, and an overwhelming regime change."[9]