Jay Kim - Definition

Jay Kim (born March 27, 1939) is a politician from the U.S. state of California.

Kim was born in Seoul, South Korea. During the Korean War, his home was destroyed and he immigrated to the United States in 1961. Kim was elected to the city council of Diamond Bar, California in 1990 and elected mayor the next year. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1992 as a Republican. Kim was the first Korean-American elected to the United States Congress.

Kim came under scrutiny for campaign donations, which eventually led to a conviction and his primary election defeat in 1998. Kim failed at his bid to win election in another district in 2000 as he was defeated in the primary.