Do we like Kim Kyoung-soo?
Our score: 6 out of 10. We found no harmful words or acts, but a finalised conviction and almost nothing on his record on LGBTQ+ or climate issues keep him mid-table.
Kim is from Jinju, studied anthropology at Seoul National University and cut his teeth as a political aide before joining Roh Moo-hyun's team. He became known as Roh's last secretary and stuck with him to the end, which still gives him serious standing with the Democratic Party's old guard. Later he won a National Assembly seat and was governor of South Gyeongsang Province from 2018 to 2021.
The big stain is the Druking case. Prosecutors accused him of conspiring with a political blogger to manipulate online comments with an automated program to help Moon Jae-in's 2017 campaign. He was convicted, the Supreme Court upheld a two-year sentence in July 2021, and he lost the governorship. A lower court had acquitted him of a separate election-law charge. Outside the prison gate he said “The judiciary failed to lay bare the truth, but that does not change the truth.”
Then came the pardons. President Yoon Suk Yeol pardoned him in December 2022 with about five months of the sentence left, and restored his civil rights in August 2024 so he could run again. People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon objected, citing Kim's lack of remorse, while Kim said he would reflect on the road he had taken. Where you land probably depends on whether you read that as a man who stands by his innocence or one who never said sorry.
On the harm test, we found nothing. No attacks on LGBTQ+ people, women, migrants or the climate, and no conspiracy talk. In the 2025 primary he pitched a livelihood guarantee, saying “No one should be forced to prove their poverty” to get help. To be straight with you, that's a thin record on rights issues: we found no vote or statement from him on LGBTQ+ protections, and he now works inside Lee's administration.
The recent run has been bumpy. He lost the 3 June South Gyeongsang governor race to incumbent Park Wan-soo of the People Power Party, roughly 51.5 to 48.5 with most votes counted, and conceded graciously. Less than three months later he was back at the president's side, which analysts read as Lee pulling a rival Democratic Party faction into the tent.
The good stuff is mostly public service rather than charity. After Lee took office he chaired the presidential committee on balanced national development, working on the five mega-regions plan, the idea he'd run on in the primary. After losing that primary he also served as chief campaign chair for Lee's run, which is the sort of team play you don't always see from a beaten rival.