'Honam·40s' Democratic Party Supreme Council Member Kim Garam... Emerging as a 'Regional and Generational Bridge'

From Elementary to University, Originating from Honam
Visiting Honam Region to Hear Voices on Site
Mixed Expectations and Concerns Surrounding Him

A man in his 40s from Honam. This is the description of Kim Garam, a Supreme Council member of the People Power Party. He secured the vacant ruling party Supreme Council member seat following the resignation of Tae Young-ho, a People Power Party lawmaker, and expressed his ambition to become a "messenger of generational and regional integration." After pledging to alleviate the sense of alienation in Honam, he visited places like Yeonggwang in Jeollanam-do to listen to their voices. However, expectations and concerns intersect regarding Kim's role as a "bridgehead for generations and Honam."

From Entrepreneur to Ruling Party Supreme Council Member

Kim was elected in the People Power Party Supreme Council by-election held on the 9th. In the vote conducted via an automated response system (ARS), 539 out of 828 national committee members (65.10%) participated, and Kim was overwhelmingly elected with 381 votes (70.7%). Kim is expected to serve as a Supreme Council member until March 2025.

Born in Gwangju, Kim attended elementary, middle, and high school, as well as university, all in Honam. He is an entrepreneur who succeeded in domestic production of Spain’s raw ham “Jamon” for the first time in Korea and served as the president of the Korea Junior Chamber (Korea JC) central committee. He cites his experience running a business and leading a systematic organization as his strengths.

On the 9th, at the National Assembly, Kim Garam, the party's youth spokesperson elected in the People Power Party's Supreme Council by-election, is delivering an acceptance speech. (Photo by Yonhap News)

His connection to politics began by chance. During the 2014 local elections, he helped with the election campaign of a friend’s father, who was running as a Saenuri Party (the predecessor of the People Power Party) candidate for a local council seat in Gwangju. Encountering the voice of a conservative party for the first time, he felt that the ideology he pursued largely aligned with Saenuri Party’s and has since been actively involved in party activities in Honam for ten years.

In the 20th presidential election, he served as co-chairman of the Jeonnam Provincial Party Committee for the Yoon Seok-yeol campaign and was also a youth planning committee member in the presidential transition committee. Although he lost as a youth Supreme Council candidate in the March 8 party convention, he was appointed as a youth spokesperson and continued his party activities.

Confidence in Serving as a Bridge Between ‘Region’ and ‘Generation’

In his acceptance speech, Kim emphasized, “If I am to fulfill my role within the party, I want to act as a 40-something who connects the 20s and 30s with the 50s and 60s, bridging the older and younger generations.” In a Q&A session the same day, he said, “Our real opponent is not the Democratic Party but the people of Honam,” adding, “I will not forget that there are no People Power Party local government heads or lawmakers in Gwangju and Jeonnam, and I will make efforts by going out on the ground.”

Kim demonstrated these pledges through action. The first place he visited after being elected Supreme Council member was Yeonggwang County in Jeollanam-do. He listened attentively to local residents selling regional specialties such as dried yellow corvina and solar salt. On the 19th, he conveyed the fearful situation on site due to the “Fukushima contaminated water” controversy during the Supreme Council meeting’s opening remarks. Kim said, “Residents of Yeonggwang worry that Yeonggwang dried yellow corvina and solar salt may not be loved as much as they are now.” He plans to visit Gwangyang City in Jeollanam-do on the 23rd. In a phone interview with Asia Economy, Kim explained, “There are 41 local governments in Honam, and 10 of them are independent. There is also a lack of connections with Democratic Party lawmakers. I will visit the independent areas first, but starting next month, I plan to systematically select regions and visit two or three places a week.”

He also shows great interest in the complex shopping mall, a long-cherished project in Gwangju. On the day he first attended the Supreme Council meeting on the 12th, he said, “The Gwangju complex shopping mall proposed by our party is being concretized as Shinsegae’s ‘Starfield Gwangju,’ Hyundai Department Store’s ‘The Hyundai Gwangju,’ and Lotte’s ‘Third Lotte World’ concept,” emphasizing, “I will ensure that citizens’ demands are pursued without wavering.”

Expectations Exist, but So Do Concerns

Expectations and concerns about Kim intersect inside and outside the party. A first-term People Power Party lawmaker said, “He is in his early 40s and has experience in civil organizations and running a business, so the fact that he can bring new voices beyond the bureaucrat- or legal professional-centered politics is a positive sign.” A party committee chair said, “Kim himself is fighting two prejudices: one is that it is seen as strange to do politics for the People Power Party in Gwangju, and the other is that he is considered not part of the mainstream among Honam politicians within the People Power Party,” adding, “Seeing him constantly fight these prejudices gives hope that the conservative party can advance in Honam, and Kim will be a cornerstone of change in Honam.”

On the other hand, a senior People Power Party lawmaker said, “It is hard to see one Supreme Council member from Honam as a bridgehead,” adding, “Considering he is not an incumbent lawmaker, it is questionable whether his voice will carry weight.” Another first-term lawmaker said, “Kim does not seem to have much experience with the party’s internal system, and since he lost in the last party convention, there are concerns that the Supreme Council’s weight might be diminished with his entry.”

Kim Garam, Supreme Council Member of the People Power Party. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

Kim himself is well aware of these expectations and concerns. He said, “People might wonder if I can work with conviction, but I have to overcome that myself,” emphasizing, “After visiting all the Honam regions, I will visit the battleground areas in Gyeonggi Province where many Honam residents live ahead of next year’s general election and try to faithfully fulfill the role I can play.”

Political commentator Eom Kyung-young, director of the Era Spirit Research Institute, advised Kim, “From now on, he needs to move the leadership to demonstrate sincerity,” adding, “It is necessary to focus on tangible achievements such as accelerating projects like the ‘Moonlight Alliance’ to ensure actual cooperation and dialogue between the Democratic Party and the People Power Party.”